


The Lost City of Krypton

by TheButcherOfBlaviken



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Bad Flirting, Bad Parent Lillian Luthor, Blood and Injury, Childhood Trauma, Endgame Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, F/F, F/M, First Meetings, Gay Mess Kara Danvers, Gay Mess Lena Luthor, Gay Panic, Gore, Gun Violence, Hostage Situations, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Killing, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, Lex Luthor Being an Asshole, Minor Character Death, Near Death Experiences, No Gays Will Be Buried In The Making Of This Fic, Protective Kara Danvers, Saving the World, Slow Burn, So Kara And Lena Will Be Perfectly Okay, Strangers to Lovers, Swearing, Torture, Videographer Lena, Well They'll Be Alive At The End, Whole lotta minor character death in this, archeologist Kara, that I promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:08:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 58,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26402440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheButcherOfBlaviken/pseuds/TheButcherOfBlaviken
Summary: Just when famed videographer Lena Luthor is ready to shutter her production business, a peculiar archaeologist named Dr. Kara Danvers swoops in with the scoop of the century; she can find Krypton, the city lost for hundreds of years. With the money to save her dying company, Lena joins her expedition. Together they set off for the adventure of a lifetime that soon turns into a fight for their lives. With everything gone to shit, its up to Kara and Lena not only to save their friends, but the world. Throw in some mercenaries, a group of ragtag archaeologists and a crush on a certain Doctor, and Lena is in for a ride she never imagined when she picked up her camera.OrThe archeologist au that came into my head while watching a documentary on ancient Egypt.
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor, Querl Dox/Nia Nal
Comments: 94
Kudos: 162





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Been holding onto this for awhile and thought why not. Don’t worry I’m still working on all my other fics, writing has just stalled with school starting again. I really want to try and finish all the fics I have open this year. I just love archeology and I’ve been thinking how to write about it. I’m posting this one because this is the only chapter I know is not going to change. I don’t think I’ll post the rest till I’m finished with it but don’t worry I’ve written a lot of it already. Let me know what you think and where this should go! I’m open to your ideas! Enjoy friends!

Lena huffed, her head in her hands as she sat at her desk. Her papers were scattered around, all showing the things she wished weren’t true. One stamped with foreclosure, another a letter from the bank, too many real things for her to deal with on such a tight budget and slowly deteriorating mental health.

She rubbed her eyes and leaned forward, resting her elbows on the wooden surface. There was a door clicking and someone walking up to her desk. They set down a envelope and cleared their throat. She looked up tiredly and saw James looking at her sadly. She grabbed the envelope and already knew what was inside. She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her index finger and thumb as she set the letter aside

“I’m really sorry Lena. You know I don’t wanna go” the man pleaded; his arms crossed in front of him. She didn’t bother looking at the letter, his resignation obvious.

“James, please. Just a few days. We can scrounge it together and keep the business open, I’m sure of it” she cried, not getting up from her desk. She was desperate and hated that it showed but what else could she do? James shook his head sadly.

“I’ve given it a few days a few times. But now with everything with Lex? I have bills to pay Lena. ” he looked remorseful but still turned around. Lena reached into her desk and grabbed the little business card she had gotten a few days ago in the mail, clutching it like her life was riding on it (and If she was real with herself, it was)

“Just wait for this last potential scoop. They’re coming by any minute and they might have something for us” Lena held the card reverently in front of her. James looked over his shoulder and closed his eyes. He sighed and let the door handle go. Lena was beyond grateful as he shook his head.

“Alright. Just this last one” he told her and went to his old desk. They weren’t sitting for long when their front door bust open. A woman with blonde hair pulled into a slick pointy tail and glasses burst in, her mouth turned up into a smirk. She adjusted her glasses and she could just see a hint of muscle beneath the tan sleeve. The woman looked down at herself and eyed her clothes.

She looked a little disheveled but In a purposeful way. Her tan button up was half untucked and her cargo pants were tucked into her loosely laced boots. Lena would be lying if she said she didn’t like what she saw.

The blonde looked up at them and her grin grew, showing her bright white teeth. She dusted off her pants, a small cloud of dust flying off.

“This is Luthorcorp productions right?” She asked, rummaging through her pocket and checking a little slip of paper. Lena got up and ran to her, throwing her hand out and smiling.

“That’s us. I’m the owner, Lena Luthor” she tells the woman confidently. She just got ownership a few days ago and if the business was sinking she would show off her title for as long as she could. The blonde looked to her hand and took it aggressively in between her own. Lena’s eyes widened at the use of force.

“Real great to meet you! Names Kara, Kara Danvers or well Dr. Danvers I think is on the card.” She stopped shaking her hand but still held onto it tightly, her blue eyes staring straight into Lena’s green ones. Lena opened her mouth to comment but was stopped by Kara steam rolling through her next sentence.

“I’m an archeologist at national city university.” She pulled a business card from her wallet and then quickly put it back. She was moving at a break neck speed through every sentence and it took everything Lena had to keep up.

“ Heard you guys were some of the best in the documentary biz and boy I’ve I got something for you” she pulled a small notebook from her breast pocket and flipped through it quickly. She stopped at a worn out page and pointed to the top with her finger. She flipped it to Lena and the woman looked curiously.

There was a ton of haphazard notes and sketches, but the main thing that caught her attention was the title at the top of the beat up paper. She raised an eyebrow and looked at the excited Kara.

“Krypton? Like the lost city?” She asked skeptically. She had heard of the place. It’s famous for the fact no one knows if it exists or not. The fact a random archeologist from a small university could find it seemed unlikely, but she would play along. The blonde nodded happily and flipped through the pages again, showing more messy notes and sketches.

“I know, crazy, damn near impossible. But I’m on to something. I am sure of it” she cried, throwing her hands up in the air and sending her notebook flying towards the wall, just missing James’ head as he ducked.. Kara cringed at the loss but shrugged it off without going to grab it.

“And how are you so sure?” Lena questioned. It all sounded highly suspect but even if it was fake, she was in dire need of money. So long as this woman paid, she would go on any wild goose chase she wanted. Kara smirked and reached into her shirt. She pulled on a chain and a gold medallion was attached to the end.

“Found this on my last dig.” She took the necklace off and handed it to her. There was a series of angular symbols on it, lining the edges and looping all the way around. In the center was a giant spire, a red jewel at the top. She had never seen anything like it, and whatever language it was was certainly lost on her.

“It’s kryptonese. No doubt about” the blonde nodded, proud of herself and her work. Lena looked up at her and then back to the medallion. She slipped it around in her hand and nodded to herself.

“Okay. And you think you know what to do next just off this?” Lena was feeing more convinced but still wanted to know the whole story before she jumped in.

“I read Kryptonese. It just says ‘for the glory of Krypton’ on it but this confirms it exists!” She took a step forward, right into Lena’s personal space as she was grinning from ear to ear.

“There are a few records describing their location, none of which are very specific. but One I found at my last dig came from an explorer. They described an outpost in Greece. Good place to start” Kara took the medallion back and Lena knew she was intrigued. If it weren’t for the fact she needed the cash, she would go for free just to see what they could find. She was inquisitive by nature and this called to her.

“And don’t worry about getting paid. I can pay you substantially upfront and as we go” Kara rummaged in a side pocket of her cargo pants and pulled out a checkbook. She dribbled for a moment and then ripped the check off, handing it to her, Lena’s eyes going wide.

It was a check for 100,000. Not nearly equal to what they needed to save themselves but enough to keep the bank at bay for a long while.

“I’d like to get going as soon as possible. Say within the week? Hope you like Gyros” and just like that Kara was gone, the whirlwind of a woman leaving her and James to discuss between each other.

“Better start packing huh” James joked, patting her shoulder and getting up from his desk. He went out the door with a renewed vigor while Lena was still staring at the check. She shoved it in her wallet and gathered her things, only turning around when she heard a soft click from the door.

She turned around and watched the front door opened slowly again, kara peeking her head in sheepishly.

“Forgot my notebook” she said quietly, going to where the book had slammed into the wall and fell to the ground. She wiped the dirt off that it got from the floor and picked it up. she put it securely in her pocket and waved as she went back out the door.

Not only did she have a Greek trip to pack for, she had a check to cash. She thought she might just skip all the way there. She hoped this was the start of a beautiful partnership. Lena knew, this woman had her attention, for a multitude of reasons, least of which being the beautiful check.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the crew gets arrives in greece

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at we're back. i posted this one too cause its another one that isnt going to change. just setting up for the real events of the story. the next updates might not be as fast but i dont abandon fics so stayed tuned! i think this is around the average length of the chapters if anyone was curious. let me know what you think so far and if you have any ideas about what should come next! always love you guys comments and suggestions! anyway, hope you like it!

Lena clutched the arm rest of her seat as the plane soared over the Mediterranean. She doubted she would ever get over her fear of flying. It was ingrained in her by this point. She had her eyes closed and was longing to have the ground beneath her feet when her fear was interrupted by Kara.

“Not a fan of flying?” She asked, looking up from her maps. Her glasses dipped low on her nose and she adjusted them, her eyes not leaving her. She wanted to answer but at a slight shake of the aircraft she shut her eyes again.

“Was it obvious?” She attempted to joke but her stomach lurched, and she felt herself get lightheaded. Why did flying have to suck so much?

“We’ll be okay. I’m here for moral support if you want” Lena cracked her eyes a little and saw the blonde smiling at her. Her words seemed genuine and Lena was surprised. Being a little, she hasn’t gotten to spend much time with anyone genuine like that. The plane shook and Lena didn’t have it in her to answer, as much as she wanted to.

“Personally, I’ve always been deathly afraid of thunderstorms. The sounds are just too much for me and when there’s lighting? Forget about it. I only recently stopped crying when it happened.” the blonde’s confession was just as shocking as her kind words. This woman, practically a stranger, confessed her deep fear of thunder to her.

Kara was quiet after that, only checking every few minutes if she was okay or needed anything. Lena appreciated it and assured her she would be fine. The distraction was pleasant, allowing her to almost forget she was on a flying deathtrap.

She held on for dear life until finally, the pilot announced they would be landing without the next few minutes. Lena wanted to cry in relief. She looked to Kara as the plane landed, the archeologist casually putting her papers away into an old, soft leather briefcase with KD on the latch. James waited beside their seats with his camera as they gathered their things.

Lena rushed off with her carry on, letting the cool island air hot her face. Kara and James followed soon after, Kara taking a deep breath in.

“Ah! Welcome to Milos! Isn’t it just great” she strutted off the runway and walked to a waiting car. A woman was there, a pair of sunglasses on as she leaned against the hood of the car. She pulled her hands from her pants pocket and waved them down and Kara waved right back.

“Took you long enough Kar. Been here for days waiting for you guys to get here” the red head whipped her glass off and hung them from the collar of her shirt. She looked stern faced but was quickly engulfed in a hug by Kara. she looked uncomfortable as the women held her.

“Yet you love me, even if I’m eternally late” Kara pulled away from the hug and pushed the woman’s face, the red head gasping at the action. Lena watched on, completely in the dark as to who this was and also what was happening. Albeit she was a little jealous, was this woman a girlfriend she didn’t know of? She was frowning till Kara turned with a smile.

“You guys, this is my sister, Alex. Alex, this is Lena and James, those documentarians I told you about” Kara pointed to them, the two videographers waving at the woman. Lena felt sheepish and almost downright silly at her jealousy only seconds before. The woman watched them closely, looking them up and down like she was looking right thought them. She gave them a small nod of her head and whatever test she was doing they must have passed.

“I didn’t know you were serious about that” she heard the woman whisper as she shook her head. She clapped her hands and pointed to her car. Lena wondered what she meant but ignored it in favor of getting as far away from the plane behind her as possible.

“It’s a short drive then boat ride to the camp on Polyaigos. If we head out now, we’ll be there before nightfall” the woman slipped into the driver’s seat of the car and they all followed suite. Lena watched from the window, only half listening to Kara serenading them by singing along to her own playlists on her phone. They got to the furthest point of the island in no time, their destination in the distance as they came upon a ship docked at the port.

A group was waiting there by the boat, two women and two men standing together. One of the men had long hair and was chatting with what looked to be the ship’s captain. The other was adjusting his hair and beard in a small pocket mirror while the women chatted happily with each other.

Kara waved them down and jogged over. The group reacted to her arrival, greeting her with excitement.

“You guys ready to head out?” Kara asked, looking happily around with her free hand on her hips. They all just nodded and grabbed their bags, heading onto the ship without another word. James sucked in a breath next to her.

“just gotta go on a boat huh” he whispered; his bags clutched tightly between his fingers. What a pair they made, one afraid of flying, and the other afraid of boats. She patted his back.

“we’ll be fine. Quicker we get on, quicker we get off” he nodded shakily and followed her onto the old ship. The long-haired man she saw earlier with them was talking with the ship’s captain in Greek, their conversation ending with the captain smiling and walking off to the helm. The other man and Kara talked for a few minutes and walked together to the main deck, where the other members of their party were already sitting.

Lena studied all of them closely. Kara didn’t mention anything about other archaeologists, but she assumed the help was welcome. She looked for a place to sit and was flagged down by Kara. She ignored the unwanted blush on her face and went over, where the blonde had the rest of the group gathered already.

“I think some introductions are in order, don’t you?” she pointed at the woman leaning against the railing of the ship. She gave a two fingered salute and went back to looking at the water. Kara sighed.

“Sam, introduce yourself!” she aggressively whispered, stomping her foot like a displeased child. the woman, apparently Sam, laughed and came over for a handshake.

“Samantha Arias, Forensic anthropologist. Good to meet you” Sam let her hand go and went back to her spot on the railing though this time she was watching them instead of the water. Kara nodded in approval and gestured to the young girl sitting on a bench next to her. The girl pointed at herself as if to confirm it was her turn then stood up.

“Nia Nal, I'm, I guess you could say, apprenticing with Kara” she looked awkward and a little shy, her hands wringing in front of her. Kara patted her shoulder and the girl quickly sat down, pushing a stray hair back behind her ear. The man she saw earlier with the mirror came forward and gently pulled her hand into a handshake. He had a thick beard and carefully styled hair. His grin made her want to back up.

“Mon-el Matthews, at your service Miss. I’m your resident cultural anthropologist” he looked like he was going down to kiss her hand, but she quickly snatched it away before he could. He looked unphased and just smiled as he went back to sit down. The final member got up, a man with long hair pulled behind his head. His fingers fidgeted before finding their place behind his back.

“my name is Querl Dox, but you may call me Brainy. I am an archaeologist with a specialty in linguistics” he told her flatly. His hands were held low behind his back and he didn’t go for any handshakes. Lena nodded at him and looked again at all the people she just met. They were…unique to say the least.

“really nice to meet you all, I'm Lena Luthor” she introduced herself and saw a look of realization on Nia’s face. The girl snapped and pointed a finger at her.

“weren’t you the one who directed that big gaming documentary? The one that won best documentary last year at the Oscars?” Lena blushed but nodded. She was proud of her accomplishments but thought after it was over people forgot about it.

“that was me, yes.” Brainy nodded and smiled.

“I greatly enjoyed that documentary myself.” Nia looked dreamy eyed at the man as he talked, practically making heart eyes at the man who seemed none the wiser. Lena could recognize that face as she’s sure she’s made it at Kara unintentionally many times already. James coughed and smiled when all eyes were on him.

“I was the man with the camera in that one. James Olsen, really excited getting to work with you all” everyone nodded their acknowledgement and were relatively quiet after that. she was quickly pulled into a conversation with the others of Kara’s crew as the blonde ran off.

“so, Lena, you excited?” Sam asked, Nia watching her happily as she scooted over, patting the space beside her. Lena took the spot and the other women watched her for her answer.

“yes. I’ve never really been on a dig like this before. I’ve always liked archeology so I'm excited to see how you all do your thing” Nia nodded and put a hand on her shoulder.

“I know how you feel. This is only my second dig. I was so nervous on my first and honestly, I still kinda am for this one” she smiled at the girl’s admission. She could tell Kara kept good company.

“but Kara is really great. She really makes you feel at home with her” Lena felt her face get hot at the mention of the blonde. She looked over to where she had gone off to, her and her sister in a deep conversation as they walked slowly to them. Nia and Sam watched her closely, following her line of sight and smirking when they saw who her eyes were glued to.

“yeah she really is. So kind and thoughtful, isn’t she?” Sam added, her voice amused. Nia nodded and nudged Lena with an elbow.

“oh yeah! She’s the best. Can’t believe she hasn’t dated in years. Anyone would be lucky to have her around” Lena could feel what they were getting at and was seconds from just jumping off the side of the small ship to escape. She resisted the urge and just covered her face with her hands.

“anyway. This dig should be cool. Imagine if we found out where Krypton was? That would be awesome” Lena pulled her hands away and watched the look of awe on Sam’s face.

“have you guys been looking for Krypton for a long time?” Lena made a mental note to add that to the list of questions when they interview them, but for now it would just be off the record for her benefit. Sam nodded.

“since my kid was about 8. She’s 14 now so yeah, a while.” Sam looked quietly over to where the small island they were headed to.

“is this the closest you’ve ever gotten?” she asked, leaning in her seat. The more she learned of their story, the more she was invested in it and could weave a better film.

“definitely. Until we found the medallion, we had never seen anything really pointing us in any direction other than ‘krypton may exist’” Sam nodded, her face turning up into a small smile.

“I can’t wait to go home and tell my daughter her mom found the real thing. I really hope this is it” Sam smiled down at her and Lena could feel her excitement. She hoped they were really onto something; these people obviously have been working hard for it.

They were soon interrupted by the whirlwind in charge of their whole expedition. Kara ran over, moving with the swaying of the ship as it traveled across the deep waters. She crouched in front of Lena and set her knee down on the deck, hands going to her knees to keep from falling.

“so, thought I would let you in on the plan before you started filming and what not” she pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. she looked at it confused till the blonde realized she had it upside down.

“we’re going to this island because we have reason to believe there's an old, very important Kryptonian outpost there. We believe the city state relied heavily on it and could tell us about where to find the lost city” Kara looked to the paper and seemed to just be going down.

“I really want you to get all of us doing our work, you know. Take them aside for interviews if you have any questions about the dig.” Kara looked to the paper but shook her head and crumpled it up. She shoved it back into her pocket and got in close to Lena’s personal space. She smiled with all her teeth and Lena felt a little fuzzy when she started talking again.

“you’re the expert, do your thing and I'm sure I’ll think it’s awesome” Lena shivered for some reason at the compliment. The blonde slapped her knees and stood up, stretching her legs as she did.

“we’ll be there within the next few minutes so be ready to walk to the camp.” The blonde left with a pep in her step to the other side of the ship, where her sister was waiting with a frown on her face. Lena watched as they seemed to argue but it ended with Kara putting her arm around Alex’s shoulder and the red head shaking her head.

Her and James talked the last few minutes of the ride, going over their plan for the documentary and the shots they wanted to make sure to get. The ship came to a stop and everyone got off, James practically bolting to dry land. There were stairs leading up the hilly island and from the dock, the small group making their way there first. Lena sighed at the thought of having to carry all their things up.

The hike up was far too long, Lena huffing and out of breath along with James as they finally reached the top. The island plateaued, the only thing at the top some goats and a group of tents. They all made their way there, Lena happy to finally be able to put everything down.

The archeologists all went to a central tent and after putting her things down in another with a cot, Lena grabbed James and set up their camera. The group all gathered around a table inside the tent, Kara pulling out a map and unfurling it on the surface.

Lena pointed at them and James zoomed in, patiently waiting for something to happen next. Kara smoothed the map out and pointed at a part of the island with a red circle on it.

“so, you all started excavating here yesterday. Anything to report?” the blonde asked. Lena was almost taken aback. The whole time she had known Kara had been filled with goofy smiles and clumsiness. Her demeanor switch showed her just how serious she was about this project. This was a different Kara altogether and it was interesting to see. Nia stepped forward and pulled out some pictures printed on regular pieces of paper. She set them on the table and elaborated.

“we mostly struck out at first, no discoveries until the last few days. we found what we think is a burial shaft yesterday morning. we’ve been digging and if we get on it now, we think we might get to the bottom today” Lena walked around with James and they zoomed in on the pictures. There was some cut stone, organized in a square, sticking up from the ground. The next photo showed it was mostly dug up, someone standing at the bottom. Kara nodded and handed them to Nia.

“well then, I say we head there now and see what we can do” everyone nodded and gathered up their bags. Lena followed behind them with James, watching them walk to a cordoned off piece of land away from their tents. A series of ropes and pulleys were hanging over the shaft, various tools scattered around the opening.

Kara went to the edge and looked down, her foot knocking down some rocks into the shaft. Lena shivered at how deep it was. The archeologist stepped away and looked to the group. Her hands went to her hips and she started rattling off orders with a kind smile.

“alright people let’s get to the bottom of this shaft. Nia, you and Brainy head down there and work on uncovering the last of the debris. Everyone else, be ready to carry out buckets” just like that they all went to work, jumping up to get down the shaft and to whatever they were looking for down there.

Lena looked around and spotted Kara grabbing a bucket to send with Nia and Brainy. She flagged the blonde down and she nodded, handing the bucket off to Sam as she waited to see what Lena had to say. James positioned himself and was recording as Lena got out a notebook with questions she was wanting to ask. She opened her mouth to speak to the blonde but she tripped and landed face first in the dust just before she got to her.

Lena rushed over and put out a hand, a red-faced Kara thankfully grabbing her hand and getting up.

“you can edit that out right?” she whispered as she dusted herself off. Lena laughed as she picked a rock from the blonde’s hair.

“don’t worry about it. just answer some questions and you can go back to work, _carefully”_ she joked, stepping back to get out of the shot. Kara smiled and adjusted again. She gave the thumbs up, James hitting record.

“what do you expect to find down there?” she asked, Kara patiently listening to her. The blonde nodded and looked at her while she answered.

“well, as the name suggests it’s a burial shaft. Hopefully it was safe from any grave robbers and it might tell us something about who was living here, maybe some clues on Krypton” she smiled and then gave her a thumbs up again, but this time with a questioning look.

“that's all for now Dr. Danvers” Lena grinned and waved at her as she walked back to the shaft. Kara stopped and then ran back, pulling the gold necklace off and holding it out to her. Lena looked at it with wide eyes and Kara shoved it into her hand with a smile. She pushed the hand away and shook her head, but the archeologist was insistent.

“come on, think you could hold onto this for me? Can’t really work well with it.” before Lena could say anything in argument, the woman was gone. She shook her head and slipped the necklace on, the heavy metal perfectly sliding to hide under her shirt and away from view.

She surveyed the area, to get an idea of any other shots they wanted to get when she saw Alex walking over. She was wearing a leather jacket, protecting her from the sharp wind that was steadily picking up. Lena could just see a utility belt on her waist as she came to a stop in front of her.

She adjusted her sunglasses and put her hands on her hips as she watched the scholars at work.

“everything going well so far Luthor?” she asked. Lena nodded and her eyes drifted down. They widened when she saw Alex put her hands on her hips, her jacket pulling back slightly. She could just barely see a pistol on her hip, its shiny metal surface glinting in the Greek sun.

_What kind of dig is this?_ She thought. She had been on trips somewhat like this before. Not once had she seen one with an armed guard like that. She cleared her throat and looked away from the weapon and to the dig. Kara was rolling up her sleeves when they made eye contact. Lena got a view of tanned, toned arms as the happy blonde waved at her and went back to work.

“everythings been fine so far. No complaints” she didn’t take her eyes off Kara as they worked, and she only heard Alex hum.

“just how I like to hear it. let me know if anything changes “the red head went to walk away but Lena put a hand on her shoulder.

“I was just wondering what it is you do? I know you and Kara are related, is it a common interest in archeology or?” James raised his camera, but Lena put out her hand, pointing it down to the ground. He looked questionably at her but listened.

“Security. Making sure Kara and the others are safe. you know, just in case” Alex shrugged and adjusted her belt, the gun disappearing from view completely. Lena nodded and prepared her next question, licking her lips as she asked.

“are you expecting any trouble out here?” she tried to hide the nervousness in her voice but had a feeling she failed when Alex placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“I always hope not. But I’ll do my best to make sure nothing happens” the red head patted her shoulder and left, seemingly to do a check around the perimeter of the island. What the armed woman was looking for, she wasn’t sure but also wasn’t sure she wanted to know. She wondered what happened on their previous expeditions that warranted an armed guard but once again, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know that either.

The rest of the day continued on without incident, Lena and James just sitting to the side and waiting for something to change so they could film it. Kara came up to them close to sunset, her brow covered in sweat and her clothes dirty. She narrowly avoided tripping over a large rock as she took a deep drink from a water bottle. The water spilled out onto the sides, dripping down her chin as she spoke with them.

“we’ve hit the bottom if you two wanted to film it. Found some interesting stuff too” she went back with the others and Lena got up with James. They rushed over with their camera ready as a large box was brought out of the shaft. The group converged on it, rushing to secure the box as Brainy and Nia climbed out.

They rushed off with it, taking it to the main tent of their encampment. The two filmmakers ran to catch up, watching as they set up the box on the table. Kara eyed it reverently as they pulled the lid up. She frowned and Lena got the camera in closer to look. It wasn’t a coffin like was expected, but a simple ornate metal box. It looked untouched by age, the surface shiny clean and devoid of any marks.

Kara put on a pair of gloves and pulled the box out, examining it carefully all around. Her eyes held a look of awe as she pulled open the latch. They were surprised to see the box was practically overflowing with papers. All of them bared the intricate characters of Kryptonese, Kara’s mouth hanging open as she set the box down and took the contents out. She handed a few papers to Brainy, who read through it quickly.

He grabbed her shoulder and pointed to a certain line, Kara gasping as she read it. she took the paper from him and looked up with shock on her face. she passed the paper around and was practically buzzing, her face pulled into a tight smile. Lena was dying to know what was on the page that could make the blonde like this.

“It seems our lost city might be hiding in the Kasnian wilderness” Brainy announced, everyone breaking out in various displays of happiness. There were brief hugs and high fives shared before they came back down to earth and talked it out, everything caught on their camera.

“you think its legit?” Monel asked, his hands on the table as he examined the box from a distance. Sam spoke up, her eyes not leaving the papers she was shifting through.

“wouldn’t hurt to follow up on. we’ve been searching for years and this is a lead, might as well” Nia nodded in agreement and took the papers form Sam. She looked excited as she examined them.

“this could be exactly what we needed. What do you say Kara?” all eyes went to their leader, the blonde’s hand on her chin as she contemplated. She looked around to everyone and broke out into the biggest grin Lena had ever seen. it was a contagious type, Lena’s face unknowingly breaking out into a similar smile.

“We head to Kasnia as soon as possible. Get some sleep today, we start packing tomorrow people.” everyone was filled with a new wave of excitement as they walked off to their own tents. Even Lena was feeling it as she went to the tent she was apparently sharing with Nia and Sam. This would be the discovery of a lifetime, if they could do it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the adventure begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we are back! so here the action is gonna start picking up and we'll start to get to the real meat of it in the next chapter. i hope you guys like it, i think this chapter came out pretty good. let me know if you have any ideas or predictions, i love hearing from you! anyway, enjoy!

After a quick dinner of hot dogs and burgers, Lena sat down beside the fire Mon-El was building. She watched him amused as he struggled to get it to light. She smirked when she saw him getting down on hands and knees to blow on the sad embers. Nia watched him struggle then pushed him out of the way, taking the flint and steel he had in his hands from him.

She sent a single spark, the small bundle of twigs he was using easily igniting and the fire fully coming to life as she got down and blew on it. She smirked and handed the tool back to him, Lena far too elated at her metaphorical dunk on the man.

She dug into her burger as Mon-El looked slacked jawed at the flint and steel. He shoved it in his pocket and went to his burger. She giggled when he took an aggressive bite of it. Did she typically enjoy other people’s failings? No. But did she already not like Mon-el very much? Yes, so its okay.

Everyone began to gather around the fire, passing fun stories and tales of adventure as they finished dinner. Lena just listened with rapt attention as they recalled their many stories.

“And that’s how I was arrested by a dictator in Europe” Kara laughed, her burger dripping ketchup onto her already greasy paper plate. Everyone was dying with laughter, James wiping a tear from his eye as he held his stomach. Lena smiled. This was the most fun she’d had in a while and it was with a group of ragtag archaeologists.

“Don’t forget about the sneaking through a brothel part!” Mon-El yelled, slapping his leg as he laughed. Kara snapped and pointed at him, one of her hands going up to wipe the tears from her eye.

“Mon-El was having so much fun it was almost impossible to get him to leave the place!” She cried, a new round of laughter enveloping the group. Kara was clutching her ribs, bent over in laughter as Nia was attempting to speak through her own, fanning her face as she composed herself.

“I had no idea that’s how you discovered the gold of the Grand Duke Gediminas. They don’t tell you that in the history books!” she shook her head and the others nodded.

“It was a crazy time. Remember Alex? You met that explorer there! What was her name? Sara something?” Sam had her fingers to her chin, Alex curling in on herself as she seemed to recall the memory.

“Sara lance and we agreed to never speak of that again!” She cried, covering her face with her hands. Who knew the big bad Alex would get embarrassed about something? Lena was enjoying to simply be on the edge of the conversation, content to stay the wallflower.

“I have heard of this woman. Was she not with us on the Madagascar dig?” Brainy spoke up, holding a sparkling water in his hand as he contemplated in his seat beside Nia. Alex shoved him and he slipped off his seat, the man protecting his can from the cloud of dust the shove emitted.

“Okay, okay enough teasing. I know personally I’d like to hear about what Lena and James have gotten up to” Kara turned to her and soon all eyes were on the two of them. Lena looked around and played with the hair tie on her wrist.

“No, we have never been through anything quite so dramatic” she waved off, James nodding in earnest agreement. Kara didn’t believe her, scoffing as she scooted in closer.

“I doubt that! I’m sure you guys have had plenty of fun adventures in filmmaking.” Kara put a hand on her shoulder and gestures for her to tell them.

“I mean come on, you had Leonardo DiCaprio in a nature documentary a few years back! He must have been fun right?” Everyone’s eyes went wide, and she was soon bombarded with questions ranging from what he was like to what hair product he was using. She put her hands out and tried to calm everyone down.

“Really? That’s what gets you guys excited? Not hiding in a goat truck to escape from Belarus?” They all stopped and looked at each other for a second. There were nods passed around before Kara took the lead and nodded again.

“That’s just our lives. Not so special when it happens regularly” she shrugged, and they all voiced their agreement. These people were really something else.

“You all really surprise me.” She whispered to herself, the group soon going back to their seats. She entertained their questions for a few minutes, till they were satisfied and moved on. They all happily chatted to each other, Sam and Alex engrossed in conversation with James. Nia was with Brainy and Mon-El, her hands loosely around Brainy’s arm. This left only her and Kara, causing Lena’s heart to speed up uncontrollably.

She nearly had a heart attack when Kara scooted closer beside her, her fourth burger in hand. She was smiling, a mess of ketchup and mustard around her face as a blob of cheese fell onto her plate. She watched as the woman frowned and grabbed the little piece, throwing it in her mouth. The pout Kara sported when she saw the cheese fall was far too adorable in Lena’s mind.

Lena’s face heated up at her own thoughts. Who knew the clumsy archaeologist could have her acting like a blushing schoolgirl within days of meeting? She’s 26 not 16 for Pete’s sake! Though with the toothy grins and the defined biceps Kara was sporting, could you really blame her? before her inner thirst monologue could continue, Kara cleared her throat.

Lena shook herself free of her thoughts and picked herself up, searching her mind for anything to say that didn’t involve giving away her obvious crush.

“you know, I wasn’t expecting your life to be so…wild” Lena joked, her voice cracking slightly as she watched Kara rush to swallow her last bite. She finished it with a gulp and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, nodding at her comment.

“yeah. We’ve had crazy lives. And admittedly we’re a little weird” Kara added, her face neutral as she said it. Lena raised an eyebrow, but the blonde apparently wasn’t done

“but they’re family. Even if Mon-El makes me want to pull out my hair sometimes” she pointed to the man, who was holding his shirt sleeve up and flexing at Sam. The woman sighed and shook her head, hands covering her eyes.

“he seems like he has that way about him” she laughed, watching as Mon-el began talking with James. She looked away and took in the members of their odd group. Brainy seemed to be in the middle of a deep conversation with Alex, Nia hovering just behind him. everything about this group took her attention, and she was more than excited to get to make a documentary on them of all people.

“how did you meet all of them? I know Alex is your sister, so that one’s obvious. Was it through the school?” once Lena had met everyone, this question had been burning through her brain nonstop. Kara nodded and she looked around, nodding to each person.

“Mon-el is a refuge from a country that doesn’t even exist anymore. I met him while at a convention in Switzerland where he was staying” she looked to Sam.

“she’s a single parent. Met while I was giving a lecture at Metropolis U. she was working her way through a degree and I really respected that. We stayed in touch” on to Nia. Kara frowned but her eyes softened.

“Nia was kicked out by her parents while she was in her final year, while she was one of my students. I did what I could to help and offered her this job” all that was left was Brainy and Lena wasn’t sure if she was ready to find out his story.

“Brainy is the son of a wealthy scientist. They paid top dollar for his education. He was working at UCLA till we met. He left there and got a job with me. Still won’t tell me why he would give up all that money” Kara shook her head, but she was smiling.

“they’re odd for sure. But I wouldn’t have ‘em any other way” her and the archeologist made eye contact and it held for longer than they had yet. Lena studied her face, taking in all the little details she wasn’t sure she would get to know after this. Her eyes hung on the small scar by Kara’s eyebrow, her mind working overtime on devising the story of how she got it.

Her mind wandered for some time and they stayed that way, just smiling at each other. That is until Kara’s stomach growled. She looked down at it and blushed. The spell was broken and the two backed away, Kara awkwardly laughing as she got up from seat.

“guess I'm still hungry.” Kara pointed with her thumb behind her and walked backwards, the back of her knees hitting the small cooler. The blonde stumbled backwards, her legs flying up as her back hit the floor. Lena was getting out of her seat when the blonde shot her head back up.

Her glasses were askew, her expression confused as she scrambled to get back up. the blonde threw a scornful look at the cooler and scoffed, brushing off her clothes. She looked back over to Lena, who was doing everything she could to keep from laughing. Her grin was hidden behind her hand, Kara nodding with a light smile.

“Anyway. I'm looking forward to getting to know you Lena. Really” she told her as she briskly walked away, casting a dirty look at the cooler one last time, nearly stepping in the fire in her rush.

Lena almost wanted to follow but she was stopped by a yawn. She looked at her watch and realized it was getting late. She was tired from all the day’s work and walking, so she went to her tent and laid down, deciding it was best to call it a night. Her dreams were filled with a certain goofy blonde dressed oddly enough as Indiana Jones. They were just outside the lost city when she shot up.

She wasn’t sure how long she was out for when yelling woke her up. it was loud and angry, and there were far too many voices for it to be just their group. She shot out of bed and was shaking as she peeked between the tent flaps to see what was going on.

Alex was on the ground, her face hidden behind her hair as she struggled to get up. Kara was wrestling with a man twice her size just beside her downed sister, Lena flinching as she men pulled the blonde from his back and bodied her into the ground.

She looked around as much as she could from her place and saw Sam and Nia were being dragged off. she almost screamed when she saw someone headed straight for her, until she realized it was James. He was barreling towards her, his face utterly terrified. He grabbed her hand and pulled; his face briefly flashing relief as they ran out the tent.

“we have to get out of here!” he yelled. They ran to the edge of the plateau, Lena struggling to keep up in her shock and worry. She Looked over her shoulder where the others were still fighting. Kara was knocked off her feet and the man she was fighting kicked her hard as she laid on the ground. Lena cried out, watching as the man laid kick after kick, Kara attempting to curl up and protect herself.

“what about the others?” she screamed. She couldn’t stand to leave them when they obviously needed help. James just shook his head. Lena nearly ripped her hand from his grip so she could go help.

“we can send help later, for now we-“he was cut off by someone tackling him from the side. A man in a tactical suit held him down as James attempted to push him off. She noticed a little green L on his arm, surrounded by a purple circle. She thought she recognized it but knew that wasn’t priority right now.

Lena went to go and help but was grabbed too before she could get far. She screamed, kicking her feet in an attempt to get the attacker to let her go. A deep voice just laughed, and she was pulled away back to the camp. She watched as Alex was picked up by her arms, unconscious and thrown over another attacker’s shoulder.

“don’t worry, the boss said specifically to be careful with you” the man holding Lena told her in a deep Russian accent. She was too busy to pay him attention, she just wanted to look around for the blonde, wincing as she spotted her.

Kara was still struggling, her face bloody as she attempted to weakly pull her arms away. It was no use as she too was dragged away, too tired to fight it off any longer. Lena watched helplessly as they disappeared down the side of the island and to the docks.

Lena was scared beyond belief. Who were these people? Where were the others? What the hell did they want? Her questions swirled around her mind as she was carried away to where Kara was taken. She saw the ship they had come on at the dock, her heart dropping as she saw men and women with guns standing on the small deck. she could just barely see a man walking with the box they had found, the shiny surface reflecting the ships lights as it was taken to the helm.

Lena was unceremoniously thrown onto the deck of the ship, quickly scrambling to get back up and look around. Everyone else was already there, in various states of distress and consciousness. Nia was cowering beside Brainy, who held her tight as he stared daggers at the armed guards. Sam was scowling with Mon-El, who was sporting a nasty black eye. James was spared a bad beating, his captor with a death grip on his arms and keeping him sitting on the floor.

The ship started to move, lurching forward as they left the island behind. The loss of hundreds of dollars of her equipment was the least of her worries as she searched for the blonde archeologist. She feared the worst as she looked frantically around.

She saw Kara and Alex and was relieved to see the two of them moving around. Kara was still covered in blood but now she could see it was from a bloody nose and not anything worse. She was shaking Alex, who looked like she was coming to slowly but surely.

Everyone was present and accounted for, which was at least something in this shitty situation. They waited around for a while till a woman near the control room came walking forward. She seemed so sure of herself, walking with a certain level of superiority and swagger as she got closer. the angry blonde woman smiled at her and turned to Kara. She grabbed the archaeologist roughly, forcing her to stand.

Everyone went into an uproar, including Lena.

“don’t hurt her! She didn’t do anything!” Lena cried. Everyone had similar statements, Alex sluggishly putting a handout to her sister. Kara shook her head and gave a bloody smile. The red had snuck in between her teeth, her smile looking almost downright gruesome.

“it’s alright. Maybe they want an autograph” she joked, but it didn’t sound sincere like usual. Lena appreciated her attempt at breaking the tension. The woman pulled her into the room, and they all waited anxiously. She could feel herself start to cry; this was all just too much. She hoped Kara would be okay, she wasn’t sure what she would do if she wasn’t.

Kara groaned as she was thrown onto the floor beside the ship’s controls. Her face hit the floor as her weak arms attempted to push herself up. her arms were screaming at her, her body not ready to be working so hard so soon after her sad beating from the big guy earlier. A voice laughed at her struggling and she did her best to look up.

A bald bearded man, with angry green eyes watched her strain with a sneer. He was immaculately dressed, his black suit neatly pressed and his shirt open at the top, showing off a rather expensive gold necklace. He looked down at her like she was gum he wanted to avoid stepping on and pushed her up with a nudge from his shiny black shoes. He adjusted his sleeves as he finally spoke to her.

“how nice to finally meet you Dr. Danvers. I’ve heard so many great things about you” she told her in a cheery tone. He seemed so disconnected from the situation, as if Kara’s face wasn’t covered in blood and he wasn’t with a group of well-armed jerks. The voice sent a shiver down her spine and she finally came up on her knees. She smiled and eyed him up and down.

“didn’t know I had a fan like you” she smirked, trying to exude confidence even though she was fucking terrified. The man laughed and leaned against the control panel, his eyes never leaving hers and oddly enough hardly blinking. She looked away from the unnerving eye contact and spotted their poor captain, whose hands were duct taped to the steering wheel. His mouth was taped shut and his eyes were pleading when they locked on hers. The man’s voice pulled her gaze back.

“once I heard how close you were to krypton, I knew I just had to find you” he said as he crouched down to her level and smiled. It was unsettling and she wished he would back away. Really, everything about this man was unsettling.

“I'm only going to ask once. Where is the medallion?” his voice was like ice and she was amazed at how quickly his mood could change. He thought she had it, meaning they didn’t check Lena, rookie mistake. She shook her head, doing her best to seem innocent in everything. She straightened her back and looked him head on. If this was it, she would go down with a little pride.

“no idea what you’re talking about” she tried to feign ignorance, but he didn’t buy it. he grabbed her shirt and pulled; their faces far too close and his breath hitting her face. His face went from serene to a angry beet red and Kara was astonished.

“I know you’re lying Danvers. Don’t play games with me” he yelled, some spit landing on her face at his aggressive words. How he knew about that in the first place was a mystery. Not even the college knew about the full extent of their discoveries in the last dig. How did this asshole find out? She shrugged and he reached into his jacket. She could see now a holster was there, hanging from his chest. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for a shot that didn’t come.

“Lex” the woman warned, a hand going to his shoulder. Kara looked and watched as they looked to each other.

“we need her. We can get into the city with or without the amulet” Kara’s eyes widened but she schooled her face quickly. So, they knew where it was already?

Lex sighed and let go of his gun. He watched her and smiled, hitting her face with his palm a few times. It was harsh slaps, not enough to hurt but enough to rattle her brain around a little.

“guess you survive to see another day, Danvers. Be grateful Eve was here.” he stood up and shooed her away, the blonde woman grabbing her by her arms and pulling her out the door. She was thrown down again, this time next to Lena who grabbed her hand quickly. The other woman held her hand like a vise and she squeezed back. She looked at the worried green eyes and gave a thumbs up.

“I'm okay. don’t worry” she whispered. Lena nodded and slowly let her hand go, their hands now only inches apart. Kara would be lying if she said she didn’t already miss the contact. It reminded her they were still okay. It was comforting to see everyone there and alive, even if they are still in the thick of this whole situation.

They waited in their fear as the ship came to a stop, the docks crowded with even more armed guards. Kara’s eyes widened at just how many were there, just waiting for them on the small island.

They were once again forced up and walked to a truck. At least they were slightly gentler this time, not giving Kara a black eye to match her bloody nose. They got on the truck and were joined by the woman that ‘saved’ Kara. She said nothing, her hands clutching her rifle and eyes narrowed at them as they drove for what felt like forever. The truck came to a sharp stop and they were shoved off the back, the blonde woman kicking her back as she disembarked. Kara stumbled, Lena quickly grabbing her and keeping her upright.

Kara looked around, Lena’s hands till holding her. They were back at the airport, but this time instead of a small passenger plane, it was a giant cargo plane. The guards were piling onto it, all looking far too happy as they boarded. She looked around, hoping someone, anyone was around to help. Sadly, the area was devoid of anyone but the people with guns and tactical suits.

Before they could try to figure out a plan and make a break for it, they were forced onto the plane and shoved into seats. They were watched heavily by the men, guns pointed at them at all times. It was a long way to Kasnia, so she hoped they were able to get comfortable. She looked reassuringly at her companions, hoping her calm could rub off on her scared friends. It seemed to work some, as Nia stopped shivering and Mon-El took a deep breath.

They were really in for it now, and Kara would do everything it took to get them home safe. This was her fault after all. She was the one so insistent on finding Krypton, if anyone should be punished for their curiosity it should be her. She hung her head and looked down into her lap, trying to hide her immense guilt from her companions.

A hand slipped into hers and she looked up, hoping to light tears didn’t alarm whoever was there. She came face to face with Lena, who was giving the most encouraging smile she had ever seen.

Kara felt this new wave of determination flow through her. she couldn’t let them down, let Lena down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick question. ive got most of the story ironed out its just a matter of writing it but i want to know. would you guys rather or more realistic kinda story or one with a little more supernatural-ish kinda stuff? so like uncharted or tomb raider really. i have the plot i wanna choose for both but let me know.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and crew make a break for it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i hadn't planned on coming out with anything today but after the news we got i just had to. i know im not alone in saying im fuckin crushed.i damn near cried which i didnt expect but makes sense at the same time. i know the show wasnt always that great (mon-el, William, no supercorp, that whole non nocere business, etc) but it provided us with great characters and moments that we have just taken and run with here. i mean im writing a fic about kara being an archaeologist and lena being a filmmaker. i am going to miss going on tumblr after an episode and seeing people losing their minds over lena's new outfit, or kara's most recent face palm decision. supergirl, and mainly supercorp, got me into writing. its how i met the most important person in my life. all because of supergirl. ive been in this group for almost 4 years all cause i saw a supercorp edit on Instagram and thought they were already dating. since then i go through ao3 every day. ive seen it go from a few thousand fics to almost 15 thousand and i know a lot of it isnt from the show itself. just cause after next year we wont have new content doesnt mean im gonna stop. ive got lists of ideas that i havent even touched yet. and im sure im not alone on that. this community has gone practically independent of the show for years and will do so even if its gone. all the fanart and fics will hopefully keep us going for a long ass time. im determined now to keep writing, on current fics and new ones, for as long as possible. really hoping season 6 goes out with a bang (perferbly between lena and kara). heres to supercorp endgame friends! and if they are too much of a coward for that, you already know im gonna write it myself if i have to.

They climbed off the plane and were shoved into another truck. The ride was bumpy, and it was a struggle to not fall out of her seat since the truck of course had no seatbelts. What she would give to be back in her apartment and not in the back of a military vehicle.

She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, resting on the seat and doing everything to not break apart in front of all these strangers. With her eyes closed she could almost pretend she was curled up on her couch, a blanket draped over her legs holding a warm cup of tea as Star Wars played in the background.

After a silent ride in the back of that dumb truck, they made it to a small outpost in a dense forest. It was oddly warm where they were at and it confused her. weren’t they in the middle of the Kasnian wilderness? In early spring no less? Where they were in was more like a jungle, not the cool climate that should be here. This was far more like the amazon than the artic circle.

Not to mention the sky. It wasn’t sky at all, it was a system of caves. The rocky ceiling had the occasional hole, providing them sun light to travel by. How could a place like this ever exist? It seemed all far too impossible and Everything was making little sense, making her head spin. How she had gotten in this mess, hell if she knew.

Lena looked around and saw there were even more people here, just as well armed as the others. They were in their own small groups, some smoking cigarettes and others cleaning their rifles, smiling coolly as they walked by. How could a small documentary go so wrong so quicky? She couldn’t dwell longer as a person pushed on her shoulder.

“move it” they told her, the others walking forward. Nia grabbed her after she didn’t budge and pulled her with her, her face stricken. The guard guiding them pointed to a small shack like building. She got a small look around. They were flanked by sad wooden shacks. Everything looked decades old, and if she wasn’t mistaken, there was a tattered red flag with a sickle and hammer just barely visible waving above one of the decrepit buildings.

“in there” they told them in their thick accent, the Kasnian drawl dripping off his lips. They all decided it was best to obediently listen and went in the direction ordered. They stepped inside and the guard shut the door behind them with an aggressive kick of his boot.

The shack was as old as it looked from the outside. There was no floor, just the dry dirt beneath their feet. One of the walls was tilted, the shack leaning at an odd angle. You could see the dust swirling in the light that slipped in through the many, _many_ holes in the walls.

The man took up his post by the door, staring them down with a hand defensively on the gun strapped to his thigh. Kara walked up to the man and smiled, the guard’s frown growing as she opened her mouth. Lena tried to grab her hand but missed, biting her cheek as the blonde went up to him.

“don’t think you can get us some water, could you?” she asked, her face in a sweet smile. The guard gave no warning and hit her in the stomach with the butt of his rifle, sending the blonde to the ground. She fell to her knees, clutching her stomach as she created a small dust cloud.

Lena’s hand went to her mouth in shock, a small cry escaping her lips. Alex rushed over and grabbed her, bringing her sister to the other side of the room with the others and casting a enraged look at the smug guard. They gathered together on the floor, checking in with each other finally as Kara caught her breath.

“nothing a little time won’t heal” Mon-El said as he pointed to his black eye. Him, Kara and Alex were the worst off of them, but they were all conscious and cognizant now which was all she could ask for at this point. Lena looked behind them at the guard who was frowning deeply at them. she guessed he couldn’t speak very much English as he didn’t try and interrupt them talking and only said spark phrases the whole way here.

“good. Cause were getting out of here” Kara whispered, clutching her stomach as she gulped in air. The blood from her nose has stained her face, a slight red tinge to her tanned skin. The collar of her tan shirt was covered in a dark rust, the dried blood a reminder of what had happened. She was astoundingly dirty but that wasn’t much of a concern she supposed.

There was a fire in her eyes though, one that was lacking on their trip here. so she was still determined. It made Lena feel infinitely better, knowing Kara wasn’t wavering when they all kinda were. They needed that, she knew she did. She at least didn’t want to cry anymore.

“and how are we gonna do that with Mr. Kasnian bear staring us down?” Sam said, pointing to the silent man at the door. His grip on his gun tightened and Lena gulped. Kara looked to him and nodded before looking to her. Lena shook her head, feeling she wouldn’t very much like what the blonde was going to suggest.

“think you can use your charm to get him off guard, Lena?” Kara asked. Lena looked at the man and then back to Kara. Her look was pleading, and she sighed. This was the last thing she wanted to do but in this matter of life and death, she could agree, just this once.

“fine, but I won’t like it one bit” she said as she got up. Her hands went to her collar and undid a button, giving just a hint of what this guard would never have. She looked over to the man, but he was backing out of the room and holding the door open before she could strike. One figure walked through, adjusting his cufflinks as he came strutting through the door. She gasped. She knew this smarmy bastard far too well.

The bright white teeth that cost father hundreds of dollars to fix. The bald head that, no matter how much money he poured into it, would never grow hair again. The suit, the one mother had picked out for his college graduation. This man was a solid part of her life, till he ran off and left her high and dry in the dust.

“Lex?! So this is your fault!” she yelled, rounding on her brother. He was smiling and had his arm open as if to welcome her into a hug. He came closer and intended to wrap his arms around her, but she wouldn’t have it, slapping his arms away. He looked almost hurt but a smile quickly replaced it.

“my dear baby sister. When I heard you were with these guys, I just had to say hello” he was giving her that stupid knowing smirk of his that she’s always hated. She wanted to beat him to a pulp for all this but knew she wouldn’t get far. If only it were just the two of them. Without his armed guard, she would rip him apart. He never was very good in a fight in the first place.

“so, this is why you bankrupted me? So you can kidnap some archeologists?” she crossed her arms and stared her brother down. She tried to convey all her fury in her glare, and she hoped it showed. he didn’t flinch at her words nor his crimes, just nodding proudly at what she said.

“seemed my best option, yes” he said it so casually and it pissed her off. he beat these poor people, kidnapped them and forced them here against their will under armed guard. She knew her brother was a piece of shit, but this was far lower than anything he’s ever done. It was one thing to sink a business she worked hard on but a whole other level to do all of this. This was war criminal territory.

“you’re insane Lex.” She yelled at him. He shrugged and took it like a compliment almost. This enraged her but she reeled it in. Lex would just use her anger against her.

“such is the price of Genius, Lena. Now, you and your little friends will wait here patiently till I need Mrs. Danvers.” He turned around and stood by the door. He turned to her and smiled.

“if you’re nice to me, maybe I’ll let one of them live. “the color drained from her face. the rage was gone and replaced with fear. Of course, she should’ve guessed that was going to happen. He wouldn’t let anyone get out and tell the world what happened. That would be too risky for him. But this wasn’t a business transaction, this was people’s lives! This was so far removed from the brother she knew; she couldn’t believe it was even him talking to her.

Lex was now gone, their guard going back to his position and continued staring at them. the escape plan had to happen soon; their position here was now too dire to stay. She went and sat back down; her face as serious as the situation they were now in.

“we have to go. now.” Everyone nodded and got ready to stand. Kara shakily stood and eyed them all, still rubbing the spot where the man had hit her. she looked away and at the unaware guard, who was calmly looking down at his shoes.

“no matter what happens, just keep running” they all nodded, but Lena knew it would be harder to follow than that. If anyone were to fall behind, she would hate herself for getting away. She had a feeling Kara would turn around if someone fell. She most likely said it to keep them from coming back for her. Lena wouldn’t let that happen.

She took a steadying breath and pulled her hair from the ponytail it was in, fluffing it out and letting it fall over her shoulders. Hopefully she looked okay. She wasn’t covered in dirt or blood like the others. When she was satisfied with her preparation, she went up to the guard, who tensed up as she approached. She willed herself to cry, a few tears falling down her face. She was proud of her spectacular acting as she threw her arms around his neck and began turning them so he was looking at the door instead of her fellow plotters.

“sir please, you have to help me! I'm just a poor defenseless woman” the man was struggling in her arms and trying to get away. He looked more bewildered than angry as she pulled him in and grabbed his face every time he tried to get away. he seemed unsure of what he should do in a situation like this, and from what the other man had said back in Greece, Lex had given them orders to not hurt her. she would use this to her advantage.

“please help me” she cried, watching from the corner of her eye as Alex came around to the man’s side and went behind him. she waited and saw Alex’s hand go up and cover the man’s mouth, his eyes widening in surprise. He attempted to swat at Alex’s head, his hand going back and swiping. Lena took initiative and kicked between his legs, his eyes watering and hands shooting to his groin as he crumpled to the floor. The others swarmed and pushed him to the ground.

Kara took his gloves and balled them up, shoving them in his mouth, a muffled cry coming from the red faces man. Sam took his gun and threw it to the side. James took the man’s shoelaces and with Brainy and Nia’s help, tied his hands behind his back and his feet together. They backed up and watched the man struggle against his bonds as Alex ran over and grabbed the rifle from the ground. Their teamwork had gone perfectly, even if Mon-El had stayed awkwardly to the back, looking like he wasn’t sure what to do even though they had established his part in all of it. she watched him out of the corner of her eye as the others converged on the door.

She watched as Alex checked the magazine of the man’s rifle and nodded when she saw it was full. She went to the door and looked outside. She closed it and shook her head in a kind of defeated way, not giving Lena much hope on what she saw.

“it’s packed with guards. We wouldn’t get very far before they spotted us” Kara shook her head and went to the door. She took the rusty doorknob in her hands and stood firm.

“it’s that or stay and wait for Lex to kill us” she said as she pulled the door open, her voice harsh but resolute. They quietly followed her and crouched behind some boxes near the door. Lena saw now what they were talking about, her hands beginning to sweat as she saw the literal army in front of them. their situation seemed lost already, but she noticed something out of the corner of her eye.

There was a part of the camp that looked more rundown, the buildings either collapsed or partially so. No way they were in use. She pointed there, everyone watching her.

“we go that way. Doesn’t look like they’re using it right now” they all accepted the direction and began walking as quietly as they could, Kara leading the pack. They didn’t get far before there was a shout in Kasnian. There was a shot and they all flinched as the ground beside Lena’s feet was displaced. Kara grabbed her hand and pointed ahead.

“run!” she yelled, pulling her with her as they ran. They covered their heads as the area around them was sprayed with bullets, the sound deafening and making her ears ring painfully. It was utter chaos now and any wrong move would get them all killed. Lena’s heart was pounding, her pulse a mile a minute as they ran for their lives. Her heart must have skipped when she looked over to Nia.

The girl tripped and Lena felt Kara’s hand let go before she saw her. She stopped temporarily, screaming for them to hurry as the gunmen were getting closer. Kara pulled Nia up and pushed her ahead of her, the ground to Kara’s right exploding in a small dirt cloud. Lena saw the blonde’s hand go to her side and held it tightly as she ran to her.

“don’t stop guys!” she encouraged, turning past a building and slowly but surely lagging behind. Her breathing looked obviously labored and Lena’s worry spiked. There was no way in hell they were going to lose her. She wouldn’t allow it. Lena grabbed her hand this time and pulled, the archaeologist looking exhausted up at her.

“come on Kara, we can make it” she cried. The blonde huffed and broke out into a run again, her hand loosely in Lena’s. They were catching back up with the group when suddenly, one of the run-down shacks exploded, sending shards of wood everywhere. She covered her face, doing her best not to trip as pieces of the shack rained down on them. When she moved her arms, she saw Mon-El fall and he was soon swarmed by armed men. She looked away and tried to keep running.

_I'm sorry_ she chanted in her head. There was nothing she could do to help him, and it hurt. More guards surrounded them, one grabbing James’ arm and pulling him to the ground. She winced. James has been her friend for years, her last confidant when everyone else had left. And yet another one of their group, gone. She hated it, but she had to focus on the ones they still had together. Hopefully they would be able to save both him and Mon-El before it was too late. When they did that, they could get the hell out of dodge and find help.

She felt like she was on autopilot, the fear of what would come when they were caught pushing one foot in front of the other. She had tunnel vision, her sight narrowed to Kara’s back and the path ahead. A bead of sweat dripped down her forehead as they ran and ran from the danger behind them. Just when it felt like her legs were burning and ready to quit, Kara came to a skidding stop.

They came to the edge of the camp and face to face with a steep cliff. Kara’s feet stopped just before she fell over, some rocks slipping off the edge and falling for a few seconds before a resounding splash. Lena pulled her arm, keeping the woman from falling. At the bottom was a pool of water, so they had a slight chance of survival if they jumped. It wasn’t too high up, but enough that it would hurt to hit the bottom.

Kara looked down at it, then back at the swarms of people headed their way, the fires and carnage from the previous explosions reminding them of what awaited them in captivity. Kara didn’t make eye contact, but she linked her fingers with Lena’s and held her tight.

“keep your legs straight!” she yelled, and the blonde lurched forward, Lena taking the hint as they both jumped. The others were not far behind as Lena closed her eyes, hoping she would get to open them again. She braced herself, her whole-body clenching as they fell through the air. After a few seconds, she was plunged into icy waters and the hand she was holding let go.

She swam up frantically, happy the water was not rushing and fast or she would be in trouble. When she came up, she saw everyone making their way to the covered bank. Kara was just ahead of her, clutching her side still as she crawled out of the pool. She was relieved as she swam over but it quickly turned to panic as she noticed a slight red tinge to the water, leading all the way back to Kara.

She went as quickly as she could, desperately splashing through the water to Kara as she was still at the bank on all 4s. Lena grabbed her, and Kara groaned as she was pulled up and away from sight. They stopped just past the line of trees and caught their breath. Lex’s army would take a minute to get down to their location and hopefully by then they would be long gone. Lena helped Kara sit up against a tree and touched the area soaked with blood and water.

“Kara, you have to move your hand darling or I can’t help” Lena whispered into her ear, the blonde dropping her hand and letting it sit limp next to her thigh. She saw the shirt was ripped and the skin beneath was exposed. There was a deep cut but look like a bullet had grazed her. Luckily, she wasn’t shot, or they would be in deep trouble. Lena looked up to the worried group.

“I need cloth to put over the cut” they all moved at once, Brainy ripping his sleeve first and shoving the piece into her hand. Lena took it and gently wrapped it around Kara’s torso, the blonde watching her with tired eyes as she worked. She pulled the cloth around her and tied a knot in her opposite side, hoping that was enough for now till they could escape. Kara sighed as she finished, her head falling back against the rough bark of the tree. They locked eyes and Kara smiled before she slowly got up. Lena stood by her, her hands hovering around her as she stood with great effort.

“everyone okay?” she checked, holding herself up by her hands on her knees. Lena scoffed. Even after getting shot and falling off a cliff, she wanted to make sure everyone else was okay first. Alex nodded but pointed to the other three. Brainy was supporting Nia, her left foot not touching the ground as she held it up. it looked swollen already, not a good sign. Sam was holding her head and blood was sneaking out from between her fingers. She was swaying on her feet. They needed to get them help, and quickly.

“we should get going. I'm sure they’re looking for us already” she said, walking ahead of them and deeper into the forest. Lena watched with worried eyes as Kara went, her gait not as sure as it was earlier.

As they went, Lena noticed Kara got more and more sluggish. There were missteps, far more than the clumsy woman would make usually. After about an hour of walking, they just had to stop. Kara was far too spent to keep going, even if she wouldn’t admit it. She spotted a cave and pulled Kara to it. They all went inside, huddling around Kara as she sat on a rock. Lena stood next to her, watching her for any sign of needing help.

“we should set up for the night. After some sleep I should be good to go in the morning.” Kara looked down at the ground and sighed, her body sagging as she settled into her spot. Lena felt much the same. They were being hunted by her brother, an army of mercenaries at his back, not to mention they lost James and Mon-el. Who knew what they would go through now because of them?

She collapsed to the ground, not caring if she got a few scrapes on the jagged rock floor. Everything was finally crashing down on her like a sack of bricks. She had valiantly held it off due to the sheer amount of adrenaline, but it seemed her body had had enough. Her eyes prickled with tears and she covered them with her palms, hoping to avoid everyone see her breaking down.

A hand came to rest on her cheek, and she moved her hands to see who it was. Kara was crouched in front of her, her hand still holding the graze on her side. The other by her face, her fingers tentatively grazing her cheek. What struck her was that she was smiling through her obvious discomfort. This made Lena want to cry harder.

“I'm gonna get us out of this Lena. I promise” Kara looked sincere and Lena wanted nothing more than to believe her. She nodded and the blonde wiped her tears with the rough pad of her thumb. She looked sheepish as she put her hand down and looked to the rest of the group.

Brainy was wrapping Nia’s ankle, the girl watching him closely with teary eyes. Alex was bandaging up Sam’s head, a small cut above her ear causing all the mess. They were a sad sight, but they were all alive, that's what was important.

“you still have the medallion?” Kara asked her, scooting over to lean against a rock. Lena dug around under her shirt and pulled the chain, medallion still at the end, though slightly damp from their dive off a cliff. Kara smiled at it, her mind obviously far away as she didn’t even look at the necklace.

“yes. Why does he want it so bad?” Lena couldn’t see the want to kill them all. if he was looking for recognition or money, he could have it. they already had that as the heads of LuthorCorp productions. There must be something else. something was on the line, something he was willing to kill them for. Lena still couldn’t find any reason why you would kill someone over anything related to archaeology. Kara hummed and picked at her nails as she idly told the story.

“there's a myth surrounding Krypton. Obscure kinda thing, only someone who was deeply interested like me would know” Kara sighed, shifting around uncomfortably as she rubbed her side. She pointed to the necklace in Lena’s hand.

“myth goes that krypton was a huge city, with great power. Vast army, wealth, that kinda thing” she waved her hand around in a circle, eyes closed.

“they hardly ever waged war as an invader. They were usually the invaded. A city state like that should’ve been absorbed by their neighbors easily yet they were able to protect their city every time” Lena nodded, looking down at the necklace. How could this gaudy piece of jewelry be the key to something like that?

“many stories of Krypton at the time claimed that they had super soldiers. Far stronger than any combatant on the ancient battlefield” Lena was following along, cataloging it all away in case she needed the information later. Though already, it was all sounding very unlikely.

“rumor has it, that tower was what gave them that power. How? Not sure.” Kara scoffed. Lena watched as her face shifted to disbelief and a hint of anger. Her brows furrowed, a crinkle forming between her eyebrows.

“if Lex actually believes that story, he must be an idiot” Lena looked at her and watched as the blonde laughed.

“like with anything, the myth comes from a grain of truth but a super army? No way. If anything, they might just have been healthier than the opposing soldiers with a place like this” Kara shook her head and stood up, her hand pointing to the lush forest they waded through. Lena watched her as she went to the edge of the cave. she was slouched a little as she moved. The blonde dropped the subject, looking to the dense woods outside their small hideout.

“I’ll go looks for some firewood, see If we can’t get a fire going” Lena got up and ran to her, grabbing her arm and keeping her from going. Kara looked shocked as she grabbed onto her, her blue eyes searching her face.

“you can’t be serious? You’re hurt!” she pointed accusingly to the makeshift bandage wrapped around her torso. Kara looked at it but waved her off.

“I can handle it.” she told her, but Lena refused to let go. As if she would let her set a single foot outside this cave like that. Alex stood up, rifle still in hand, and came to the edge of the cave.

“I’ll go. you stay here” Alex told her firmly, shoving the rifle into her chest. Lena eyed the gun worryingly as the sisters seemed to have a silent conversation. Kara shook her head and Alex nodded. The blonde watched her sister disappear into the woods, guard duty now firmly in her lap.

“you know how to use that?” she asked, afraid of having any of them touch it. Kara sighed but nodded and cocked it. Lena watched in awe as she turned to the opening of the cave and eyed the darkening forest with a kind of practiced technique.

“this isn’t the first time I’ve had to use a gun, as much as I hate it” Lena was slack jawed. This has happened before? And they _still_ go on digs??

“you get chased by deranged treasure hunters often?” she asked, attempting to hide her shock with a joke. Kara huffed and shook her head.

“Don’t worry this is my first time being taken hostage and hunted down by mercenaries. Something like this has only happened a few times. Thieves. Bandits. that sort of thing.” Kara set the gun on her leg and kept a watchful eye on everything.

“I learned after the first time how to defend myself, how to use a weapon. haven’t had to really use those skill yet. Don’t like it but it is what it is.” Lena looked at her with worry. Kara’s tone sounded so dejected. She should know that a kind soul like her hates to have to hurt anyone.

“then why keep going out there? You don’t have to do this kind of work” Lena asked, her voice soft with concern but Kara shook the thought away. Lena couldn’t see the reason in going out there time after time when you have to go through _this._

“this is the only job I could see myself in. runs in my blood really” Lena nodded, listening to everything the woman would share with her. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about the life she led before bursting through her front door like a blonde tornado. Lena wasn’t sure where this was going but she was always willing to listen, especially if it was Kara.

“my parents were archeologists. The Zorel’s, a real duo. Spent their whole lives looking for Krypton.” Kara laughed but it wasn’t her usual strong bark. It seemed like an ironic kind, like when you drop your coffee on the floor just after you make it, or a sudden storm while you’re on a jog. Lena listened in close to her next words.

“one day when I was about 12, they dropped me off at the Danvers while they went on a dig. Said they’d be back. Haven’t seen or heard from them since” Kara’s voice was low, and Lena frowned.

“I read about them. In archaeology journals, papers, in books. I spent my whole life wanting to be them so bad” Kara leaned back against the cave wall, her head resting on the rock.

“I just wanted to do what they did, just to feel like I was closer to them you know? Even if I get shot at occasionally. And I thought maybe, if I find the city, I can guarantee they’re proud of me.” Kara picked at her fingers and Lena scooted closer. Their shoulders were touching, and Lena wasn’t sure if it was just wishful thinking, but it felt like Kara leaned into her. Lena watched the blonde and took a deep breath. Revealing your deep personal scars and trauma wasn’t what she was expecting from this trip but none of this was so, might as well.

“I'm Lex’s adopted sister. My mother died when I was 4 and the Luthors took me in” she admitted. Kara looked up at her from her spot by her shoulder. Lena didn’t want to lose her courage, so she went on, not making eye contact with the soft blue eyes.

“she drowned. We went on a picnic on a lake and she fell in. I couldn’t swim and couldn’t help so all I could do was watch” her voice was low and starting to break but she wanted to finish. Needed to finish for herself. She thought she had come to terms with what happened years ago, but seems the pain never fully goes away.

“it’s haunted me. Its felt like I’ve been spending my whole life proving I can do better than that day” she sighed. Thinking of her mother didn’t always make her cry anymore but it was always close.

“I thought going all in with LuthorCorp would do that, prove that I can do more, that my mother would be proud of me. That the Luthors would be proud. So I can finally show that they adopted me for a reason” she’s always had this feeling that she has to prove her existence. That she wasn’t a waste of space like Lex would joke when they were snotty siblings in an argument. Its why she runs all over the world with a camera in tow. It’s the one thing she’s good at and her ticket to a sound mind, so she thought for most of her life. Lena was misty eyed; she could feel it but kept on going.

“I thought after Lex left the business, I was free from that burden. That I could start moving on and healing. Now I'm here and he’s hunting us.” She wrapped her arms around herself and was doing her best to hold herself together. She was curling in on herself, her fear easily getting the best of her when Kara’s arm wrapped around her and Lena indulged. She sunk into her hold, taking in the warmth the blonde had to give. She wasn’t sure how long it had been since someone held her like this. She hadn’t had a friend other than James since she was a teenager.

“seeing him just scares me. Could I end up like that? I mean we came from the same conditions. Maybe I just haven’t snapped like him yet” her voice came out strained and scared, far more than she knew she was capable of. Kara pulled her tighter, her other hand coming up to pull Lena’s head into her neck.

“you could never. I haven’t known you long but the fact that scares you shows how different you are” Lena resisted the urge to cry. This woman, who had been through so damn much already, was comforting her for her petty problems. She hated that these were the circumstances that brought them closer but it’s just how their lives are she guessed. She could already see her enjoying having Kara in her life. And that scared her.

“what a life we’re living huh” Kara whispered, attempting to ease the tension. The tears in Lena’s eyes receded at the cheeky comment.

“tell me about it” Kara hummed and pulled her tighter. Lena knew she could get used to this position. Kara holding her like this was a dream. She could Definitely do without the risk of death though. There was a cough to their right and they broke apart.

Alex was holding an armful of wood and was smirking. Kara blushed and ran a hand through her hair. She jumped up and set the rifle down, going to help her sister. She grabbed the wood from her and Lena could just barely hear what they were talking about.

“you guys looked comfy” the elder sister whispered, bumping into her younger sister’s shoulder. The woman stammered and dropped a few sticks, scrambling to pick them up as she looked for the words she wanted.

“Alex!” the blonde cried. Her sister just laughed and looked over to Lena, who swiftly turned her head away.

Lena turned when there was shuffling beside her. She looked and saw Brainy lowering to sit on the cave floor. He pushed away a few pebbles in his way, smoothing his pants out as he sat. he sat with his back completely straight and had eyes only for the Danvers sisters as he began to talk.

“I have known Kara many years now. If any one can get us out of this she can” he assured her in his monotone way. His hands went to perch on his knees, Lena feeling like he wasn’t quite finished with her yet.

“we all have people we want to go back to, things waiting for us” he turned and looked to Nia, who had an arm around Sam. They were both crying, and it seemed that they were comforting each other on the opposite cave wall. Her eyes softened at the sight. They didn’t deserve this at all. That damn brother of hers.

“Kara would do anything to make sure we can go back to our lives. But sometimes she forgets to help herself” Brainy’s voice sounded soft, in a way she wouldn’t have expected. What he was saying though, that made her feel lighter inside. Kara was a person too, even if she tried to be the strong pillar of the group. She needed people at her back, support to keep going. Lena could do that, be that person. She may not be a leader or a action type but she could try to be if it could help Kara and all of them get out.

Before she could thank him, he got up and wandered back to Nia, crouching in front of her and wiping a tear from her face. The girl let one of her hands move from Sam to clutch tightly at the man’s shirt.

As Lena watched, she felt this wave of determination flow through her. If Kara was going to fight for them to go home, she wasn’t going to do anything less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being way longer then I intended but I’m so sad stuff just flowed out lol so i went with a kind of supernatural thing. not total "theres magic!" but something close. hit me up on tumblr if you feel as depressed about supergirl as i do right now. let me know what you think of this or if you have any ideas! i might post again later today because im grief writing. who knows.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> plans are made and alex and lena have a talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back with another! let me know if it has any weird mistakes as i might have missed some. after this chapter, we should finally get to the real action stuff! just hang in there! anyway, i hope you like it! let me know what you think!

“Kara you can’t be serious!” Alex yelled, causing Lena to shoot up from her spot asleep on the floor.

She rubbed her eyes and saw her rounding on her younger sister.

Looking to the entrance of the cave told her it was morning, light streaming into their small hiding place. She saw the other occupants of the cave were still asleep, though it seemed Brainy was slowly becoming aware of the Danvers arguing. He sat up and stretched, watching them with a close eye.

Lena watched as the blonde removed her button up and dropped it on the ground. She tucked her beat-up, dirty tank top into her pants and turned to the opening of the cave. She was wrapping her sister’s utility belt around her waist and then bent down to tie her shoes when she finally answered her sister.

“someone has to stay here and protect the injured. You can do that best Alex” Kara stood up and began to stretch. Alex was fuming and came around, so her sister was forced to face her. She pointed to the other occupants of the cave, her face red. Everyone was awake now and still worse for wear. Nia was sniffling while Sam held her hand, head still bandaged. Brainy had a loose arm around Sam, his other hand holding onto Nia, but his eyes were trained on the pair arguing.

“we can’t handle losing another one of our group, Kara!” Alex yelled and Lena flinched. There was truth to that. They were already two less then they came here with. She didn’t want to even imagine what happened to James and Mon-El. Alex wasn’t done yet as she seemed to tower above her sister with accusing eyes.

“and who’s gonna protect you? I know that wound still hurts” she pointed accusingly at the bandage under her ribs, the cloth stained with dried blood. Kara pushed her hand down and smirked with a shake of her head.

“doesn’t even hurt anymore” she moved to walk past her sister like the conversation was won. The woman looked unconvinced and raised a hand to hit the spot. Kara moved out of the way and put her hands up defensively, one shooting to her ribs. Alex just shook her head and put her hand down.

“knew it. you don’t have to play the hero!” Alex stepped into her sister’s personal space and Kara didn’t even seem phased in the slightest. Kara pointed behind them, to the rest of their sad group.

“it’s only sore! And what about Sam? Do you have the supplies to give her stiches? Or something for Nia’s ankle?” Kara’s voiced was raised and Alex huffed but it was obvious she didn’t have an answer to that. The blonde looked away and went to the edge of the cave. She looked around outside, a hand going to rest on the rocky surface of the wall. 

Lena She was terrified out of her mind. Of course, she didn’t want to go outside. She was battling with herself up until Alex pointed out Kara’s injury. Her heart was pounding and her whole body was shaking but knew if she didn’t say something, she would hate herself for it.

_Its time to act Lena!_ she encouraged herself. She stood up from her spot on the floor and knew there was no going back.

“I can go with her.” She said meekly at first. The siblings looked at her like she grew a second head. She cleared her throat and tried again, with her head up high and stronger. The words came out with more feeling this time.

“I can go with her” she brushed away the fear and her body cooperated by stopping its incessant shaking. It was like the two sisters finally understood what she was saying. Kara shook her head and came to her, putting her hands on her shoulders. Her face read disbelief as she held her.

“no way. You’ve never been through anything like this, I can’t let you” Kara let go and went to leave the cave, but Lena grabbed her. This was nonnegotiable at this point. She’s set her mind to it and there was no changing it now.

“Alex can stay here and protect the others. I can go along and protect you” Lena searched the blondes’ eyes as she pleaded. Kara’s jaw was clenched tightly, and she shook her head and looked away. Lena grabbed her face and forced her to look at her. Lena might have felt nervous or gotten red faced about their position in another life but right now it was the last thing she was worried about.

“please just let me do something. He’s my brother” her lip wobbled without her permission, and Kara looked guilty as she debated what to do. Her hands went to her hips and she paced the cave, Lena’s hands dropping down from her face as she left. She watched the archaeologist pace circles around them. This went on for a few minutes until finally, she sighed and went to her.

“okay but you follow my lead okay? And if things go wrong you leave. He wants me alive for at least a little bit so I’ll be okay for a while if I'm captured” Lena hated her conditions. They were terrible and she had a inkling feeling she really wouldn’t follow them all to the letter but knew there was nothing she could do to convince her to let her come otherwise. She just nodded and the blonde let out a deep breath.

“alright let me give you the run down. Alex spotted a camp not too far from here, we’re gonna scrounge for supplies. First aid, ammo and weapons.” Kara told her as she ran over the plan quickly, the others listening in as well.

“we go in quiet. Avoid guards when possible, take out any if necessary” Lena was afraid of what ‘take out’ meant, but she figured it didn’t mean wine and dine them at Noonan’s. She nodded at her orders and the blonde walked to the edge of the cave once more. She pointed to the left of the cave, where the forest seemed almost impossibly dense.

“Alex says its this way. We go quiet, and watch out for patrols” Lena didn’t answer, just followed the woman as she walked along the rocky wall their cave was pressed into. The sounds of the area were soothing, but she could hear distant sounds of trucks and laughter. Knowing who was the source made her skin tingle.

They walked in the direction Alex gave, taking soft slow steps to avoid detection. They knew they were going the right way when they had to dodge multiple patrols, Kara pulling her into tall grass or behind a tree whenever they came close.

Before they knew it, they were at the small camp. From their position above it, they could properly survey the surroundings. It was just a few large tents, with only one armed guard, who was luckily asleep near the front of the camp. Lena wasn’t sure they could take them or if they could effectively sneak through, but Kara looked confident.

“I’ll go in first. Be my look out okay?” Lena wanted to argue but there was no time, Kara running off and hiding behind one of the tents. A second guard walked out of the tent closest to Kara and went to the sleeping man, allowing the woman a clear path to the tents. Lena bit onto her knuckles in her anxiety and hoped Kara knew what she was doing.

The guards soon began talking, oblivious to the two intruders in their midst. Lena let out a deep breath and watched Kara run up behind them, the sound of crunching leaves beneath Kara’s boots muffled by the two men’s loud voices. She watched as Kara began making her way through the first tent, the blonde disappearing from view.

Lena waited anxiously for her to come back, watching closely as she moved from tent to tent with an ever growing duffle bag and a new rifle hanging from a strap around her shoulder. Lena only felt like she was breathing again when Kara turned to come back, her spoils weighing her down as she slowly climbed up to Lena’s hiding place. Lena tried to talk to her, but She didn’t stop to debrief, instead pulling her hand and going quickly and silently back to the cave.

They ran into fewer patrols on their way back, most of them not really paying attention to their surroundings as they walked unknowingly past them. They were back at the cave before anyone knew they raided the camp and Lena was relieved they didn’t have to fight anyone this time.

They came to their cave where they spotted Alex weaving a kind of net from vines at the cave entrance, her rifle sitting beside her. She must have heard them as she dropped the net and reached for the rifle. Alex was tense for a moment, until she realized it was just them. She dropped what she was doing and helped grab the bag. Together, they sifted through it, Kara explaining the contents as they took everything out.

“I got what first aid stuff I could. Some ammo and more guns, which we’ll really have to conserve, and a few walkie talkies” she took everything out and laid it before them. it felt like they hit the lottery as she looked at their haul from the camp. Everything they needed was here, except a ticket out of Kasnia that is. A map grabbed her attention and she took it.

A few different locations were circled on it, but the names and notes were written in Russian and she couldn’t make anything out. Kara looked over her shoulder and put her hand out.

“Mind if I grab that?” She asked, Lena giving it to her happily as she couldn’t understand totally what she was looking at. The blonde walked over to Brainy, who was rubbing his eyes as he sat up from his no doubt uncomfortable spot on the ground. Kara handed him the paper and he looked over it, wordlessly understanding she wanted him to read it. He scanned the paper and pointed to a few different spots.

“These marks are where all their camps are. The main one, which we were at before, a few smaller ones as outposts and another large camp” he walked over and pointed out the different locations. The camp looks to be a few miles away based off the makeshift key at the bottom, a triangle indicating larger camps. The cave system was far larger than any of them had anticipated, Lena was shocked that something so large could go undetected for so long.

“Well, now we know what to avoid while we make our way out for help” Alex commented as she fiddled with one of the three radios Kara grabbed. She turned it on and only heard static but was searching for the frequency the mercenaries were at. She knew she found it when there was yelling in Russian. Alex rushed over and handed it to Brainy who listened closely to what was being said. His eyes went wide, and he looked to Kara and Lena.

“James and Mon-El are alive. They’re being kept at Camp 1.” He looked at the map and pointed to the camp miles away at the opposite end of the cave. Kara shook her head and bit her lip.

“It would take days to get there.” Lena sighed, and watched as Kara took her glasses off and held them loosely between her fingers while she flattened the crinkle between her eyebrows. Lena knew any journey there would be tough. Then with Sam injured like she was, and Nia unable to properly walk? They would be killed before they ever got to James and Mon-El.

“I know, but we can’t just leave the two of them” Alex clenched her fist and hit her knee. Lena wished she could just close her eyes and open them to see she was back home. Anything was better than being hunted like this on the other side of the world. With stakes this high, any wrong move on their part could mean capture, or death and it made Lena nauseous. Kara nodded and pursed her lips.

“I’ll go. We’ll bring them back and get out of here” Kara looked to the outside and to the greater cave system. She knew where this was going so Lena shook her head and grabbed her hand. She closed her eyes as she talked.

“Not alone. I’m coming with you and you won’t stop me” Lena was not taking anything but yes for an answer. She would be damned if she let Kara go on a suicide mission like that. Kara looked like she was thinking of arguing but thought better and just closed her mouth.

Lena was relieved when the blonde nodded and turned her hand around, linking their fingers together. Any other situation and Lena would have blushed herself into oblivion. Her heart was still beating fast, but it felt comforting rather than terrifying.

“Okay. We’ll leave in the morning. For now, let’s just get Sam and Nia taken care of” she nodded to the two women, who were already back asleep. Lena hated that they had to go through this. Nia, who was just a kid barley out of school. Then Sam with her daughter, who only had the one parent who was bleeding here in a cave. When they got back, she might just personally pay for therapy for all of them.

“Alright. Tomorrow” Lena whispered. Alex gave no arguments, already having been through it this morning. She could tell she wasn’t happy about it, but she kept her misgivings to herself. The day passed by quickly, occupied with stitching up the cut on Sam’s head and securing Nia’s ankle. They both looked far more comfortable like that and it made everyone feel a little lighter knowing they were no longer in immediate medical danger.

It was nightfall and Kara’s turn for watch when she caught Lena’s eye. She sat beside her but faced the entrance, gun ready just in case. The fire they had made earlier was still alive, the flames much smaller than they had been before but enough to cast harsh shadows on Kara’s face as she talked.

“How come you’re awake?” She asked quietly. Lena knew she didn’t want to be up still, everything was just pressing on her brain so much she couldn’t sleep peacefully. She was sure they could see her tossing and turning like she was.

“Honestly? I’m scared” she admitted. She was a filmmaker for pete’s sake. Not some gunslinging adventurer type. The closest she ever got to a gun was the Nerf guns Lionel got her and Lex for her 11th birthday and that really didn’t qualify as ‘experience’. The only thing she ever wanted to shoot was a roll of film and here she was, fighting a bloodthirsty army and her megalomaniac brother. Kara nodded and took her hand gently. She rubbed her thumb on the back of her hand and sighed, looking at the crackling fire.

“Me too. I hate having put everyone through this” Kara held her hand tightly and Lena put her free hand on top.

“This isn’t your fault. It’s Lex’s and no one else” Lena was feeling a measure of hatred towards her brother. He’s gone insane. She knew he had been changing for some time but to go as far as a private army and kidnapping? This was something she never would have expected. Not in a million years.

“What did he do? You and him mentioned it sorta yesterday but I was curious” Kara moved in closer and watched her face. Lena was contemplating how to explain the whole story to her but Kara seemed to get nervous next to her. She quickly looked apologetic and held both her hands.

“I’m so dumb. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to! I just thought you know we’re here and he’s here and it seems to be-“Lena chuckled and Kara stopped her ramble midsentence.

“Don’t worry. It’s not some giant secret.” Lena got more comfortable in her seat; legs crossed under her as she recounted everything.

“As you know, LuthorCorp productions was a family business. Up until about 6 months ago, we were doing great. Plenty of deals and money coming in.” Lena smiled at Kara’s undivided attention for her very boring life.

“That is until Lex stole all our money and ran off. Not a word until yesterday, when he basically threatened to murder you all” Kara nodded, not saying anything as she just listened closely. Lena was on a roll and didn’t want to stop, even if the idea of someone knowing family problems and her insecurities made her a little nervous and slightly terrified.

“He wasn’t always like this. He was nice to me when I first came to live with them. Taught me chess, played games with me, he was even the one that bought me my first camera” she smiled at the happy memories. The memories of the brother she knew now was long gone. The first picture she took was still in her house, Lex at 18, with his bright red curls hanging in front of his eyes, smiling at her every day as she made her coffee.

“Then our father died about three years ago. They were close, running LuthorCorp together, and it was like something snapped inside him. Suddenly he never had time. Was always disappearing, making excuses. We just stopped talking” Lena wondered if that was when he started planning all this. No way this was all possible within the span of 6 months.

“He was colder. Distant. Then he steals from the company and vanished without even a goodbye. Our mother would be happy to know he’s still alive l, even if he _is_ a psycho” Kara was patiently waiting for her to finish before she asked any questions. Lena could tell as she was explaining everything that the blonde had many to ask.

“Where was your mom in all this? Didn’t she notice something was weird?” Lena cringed at the thought of Lillian. Her “mother” never cared about her, that was obvious the minute she moved in.

“Spoiling him. She rarely scolded him when we were growing up. Every one of his failures was always my fault. Any bad thing he did was ‘cause of me somehow” Lena tried not to look at the deep frown on Kara’s face. She knew this wasn’t how regular families went about things but the Luthors were anything but ordinary and it certainly was _not_ in a cute, quirky way either.

“Maybe if she had stepped in more we wouldn’t be in this mess” Kara shook her head and Lena could agree. Lillian hadn’t done too great of a job with her parenting but luckily the woman was sitting in her Metropolis penthouse and hadn’t spoken to Lena in years. She really preferred it that way if she was honest.

“who knows, maybe even if she was a good mother, we would still be here” Lena shook her head and stared at the fire illuminating their faces.

“he made his choices. I’ve made mine. Not much anyone could’ve done about it” The way the light cast shadows on Kara’s face, highlighting all the contours and features. She was mesmerized, she knew she could spend years studying Kara’s face.

She knew she was falling hard for this practical stranger, but could you really fault her for it? they had already been through so much, shared their life stories, it felt like they knew each other for years yet it’s hardly been a week since Kara came to her and James. She had so many reasons to want to get out of this and getting to know the blonde better was among the top of the list.

“good point. No use wondering, I guess. We’re here, and we have to do our best to get out” Kara grabbed a stick and stoked the fire, a new wave of bright light hitting them in the face and lighting up the whole cave. She set the stick aside and looked out to the pitch black that was the forest cave.

“there’s only a few hours left till we head out. You should rest” Kara patted her back and got up, pulling the rifle along with her as she went to stand at the mouth of the cave. It was then that she heard light humming and looked to her left.

She had almost forgotten that Alex was only feet away as when her head turned, the elder Danvers was looking down and smiling. She was still working on the net she saw her working on earlier. Lena felt her face heat up as the knowing older sister looked at her and tried to cover up the slight embarrassment she was feeling at being caught like that.

“what are you working on there, Alex?” she scooted over and pointed to the net, watching Alex’s fingers as they weaved a piece of vine tightly into net. The net was larger now then earlier in the day and she wondered what fish she planned to catch with that thing.

“I'm going to add some moss and grass to it tomorrow to cover the entrance with. You know, blend in with our surroundings and help keep us from getting caught” she hadn’t expected that to be the answer. She felt silly for thinking something that large was for fish.

“where did you learn to do that?” she was undeniably curious now. She hadn’t had much the chance to get to know Alex yet, the whole fight for survival thing keeping the two of them too occupied for it. She knew some of the pieces but wanted to put together the rest.

“The Army. Was in for 6 years right out of high school” the red head continued weaving; her eyes locked on the task at hand. She grabbed another vine from off the ground, where she had accumulated a nice pile of them.

“Wow. 6 years. That's a long time”

“yeah. I was in the FBI for a little after that but with everything with Kara I decided to leave” Alex hummed and held the net up to examine it. She put it back in her lap and tied up a few of the loose ends.

“what do you mean?” Lena asked as the other woman folded up the net and set it aside. She brushed off the little green pieces that had fallen into her lap and then leaned forward. Her hands went to clap between her knees, and she looked Lena right in the eye. It felt like the red head was staring right through her as she talked.

“the first time she came back from a tough dig, she had on a sling and crutches.” Lena sucked a breath in through her teeth, the mental picture of Kara that beat up unpleasant.

“I couldn’t stand to see that happening and not be able to help. So, I quit and decided to come along on every dig. cause you see, I always protect my sister” the sister had on a small smile, but her eyes were hard.

“I heard Kara tell you about her parents last night.” Alex still had the small smile but she had leaned a little more in her seat, invading Lena’s space even more.

“yeah. I told her about mine too” Lena was fidgeting now under the feeling of scrutiny Alex was giving her.

“she didn’t tell me about her parents till I had already been in the Army for 4 years. And she told you within a week of meeting” the smile on Alex’s face was gone, replaced with something akin to suspicion. It was like she was just waiting for Lena to try something.

“are you mad about that?” Lena picked at the dirt under her fingernails, wishing she had something to keep her hands occupied during this conversation.

“no. but it shows she trusts you” Alex unclasped her hands and crossed them over her chest as she sat up straight.

“I just want to know from you if her trust is misplaced” Lena could almost imagine what it was like when the Danvers sisters had a disagreement. Though Alex was small in stature, she made up for it in her demeanor and personality.

“I’d never do that Alex. I know we only just met but I really care about her” Lena couldn’t help the slight pleading tone that snuck in.

“that wouldn’t change because your brother is here?” Alex raised an eyebrow.

“most definitely not. I don’t want anything to do with him, especially now I know what he’s been up to” admittedly, she felt dirty even just for knowing him.

“Okay. I just had to be sure. She’s my only sister Lena” she red head set a gentle hand on her shoulder and looked imploringly at her.

“I know. I won’t make you regret your decision” Lena would do anything to keep from breaking their trust. These people had been kinder to her than her own family after all.

“Good” the tension in Alex’s body was now gone and Lena felt like she could breathe again.

“Good” Alex repeated quietly as she got up and walked to where Kara was on guard, leaving Lena to herself and her thoughts. After their talk, Lena felt immensely tired and as much as she wanted to follow, to go to the blonde and talk some more, but she knew rest was the better option.

She curled up beside the fire, watching the flames dance and finally let it lull her to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the journey begins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone! got another for you. not too long and neither will the next one but the one after that will be a bit of a monster just so you know. let me know what you all think about this one, and if you have any ideas. not sure when ill get to the next chapter but it will be sooner rather than later! love to hear from you all! till next time!

Kara wiped her brow and looked ahead. It seemed like everywhere you looked it was dense forest and overgrown plants weaving around everything. It made it harder to find a good path to walk but they were doing alright so far. Behind Kara, Lena was studying the map they had from the raid the day before. The walkie talkie on the blonde’s hip came alive and she could hear Alex’s voice as she pulled it off her belt.

“any news?” she asked, holding it next to her face as she waited for an answer. They had left their small sanctuary only two hours ago, Alex demanding hourly updates and check ins as they walked further away from camp. There was a crackle and Alex’s voice came through seriously.

“ _nothing major. From what I can tell, no patrols are scheduled for the area you're in now, but stay alert”_ there was another crackle and the voice was gone, its void filled by the sounds of the surrounding wilderness. Birds chirped, just barely louder than the sound of distant heavy trucks. It seemed distant anyway, but who knows if any camps were added since their map was made.

With a dense jungle like this, there was any number of hiding places and potential for ambush. It set her on edge, but also made her confident of their chances. If they got into any tough scrapes, they had plenty of options for an escape.

It was a long journey ahead, most likely in the three-day range, especially with the threat of attacks and obstacles. They had some MRE style meals they took from the camp and if it came to it, Kara knew how to hunt so they were mostly set in the basics. They had to move as quickly as possible if they wanted to save James and Mon-El before anyone could find the others hiding out.

“it looks like there’s a small camp a few miles away. Its unavoidable” Lena told her, holding the map in front of her face. Kara sighed. Just another thing in her way.

“got ya. Lets keep moving then” she adjusted her belt and made sure the rifle was still in a good spot on her back before she stepped over a large tree vine. She had to be careful of their surroundings as she walked the small path they were on. Not only were there plenty of natural obstacles, but the threat of creatures and creepy crawlies was near the front of her mind as well. She prayed that there would be no spider encounters. In an environment like this, she had a feeling they were far too huge for anyone’s good.

Kara spotted a potentially man made path, as the trees and foliage looked like they’d been recently cut, and carelessly at that. The ends of the broken branches were splintered and hanging sadly in the way as new branches grew around them. There were faint footprints in the ground but it seemed unlikely they were new. She began to walk down that way, Lena wordlessly following behind.

“I really hope James is okay. He isn’t good in high pressure situations” Lena whispered, putting the map in a small plastic bag and shoving it in her (stolen) backpack as they made their way through the forest. They walked down the small path, trees towering above them as they went. She was sure her neck was starting to get sore as they both continuously looked over their shoulders. Kara nodded along with her concerns.

“Mon-El is the same way. You saw him earlier when we escaped. He Froze. That’s why we have to keep moving” she told her as she lifted a hanging branch out of the way of their path. Lena crouched under it, Kara doing her best to hold it up as she too crawled under.

“do you think there’s any big predators here? It seems like a calm place but still” Lena looked around, scrutinizing every rock and tree branch. Kara knew she had the same fears. They were already being hunted down but an army, she really didn’t want to throw in any mountain lions or anything into the mix.

“sure hope not. At least any really big ones.” She shook her head and stepped over a fallen log, holding out her hand for Lena to grab onto her. Kara couldn’t help but notice how surprisingly warm and soft the other woman’s hand was. she almost admonished herself for noticing that of all things in this situation. Kara was so distracted by the brunette’s hand that she almost missed the fact Lena lost her footing, her foot hitting the top of the leg and causing her to lose her balance. Kara put her other hand out and grabbed her around her shoulders without a second thought.

Lena’s fingers went to curl around her shoulder, the brunette’s other arm snaking around her waist to keep from falling over. The archaeologist loosely set her hands down on Lena’s waist, hoping her hand didn’t slip any further down and offend her companion. Her head was pressed into Kara’s stomach, a fact Kara was all too aware of as Lena struggled to stand upright. When she had finally regained her footing, she started to stand up straight, their arms still wrapped around each other as they came face to face.

Kara was stuck in place. This was the first time she ever really got a look at the director’s face. her eyes were distinctly green, yet one had a slightly different tone than the other. Her cheeks were pronounced and her jaw sharp. The small birthmark on her cheek and the matching one on her neck was practically calling out to her. Not to mention the great splash of them all around her clavicle.

Lena was looking at her funny and that’s when Kara realized she was staring for way too long. She shook her head and laughed, trying to smoothly run a hand through her hair. She now realized it felt unbelievably dirty and took a step back when she looked up to check her hand. Her face dropped when she tripped over a vine. Lena tried to reach for her but it was too late. She was quickly slipping down the side of a hill she didn’t know was there, the world on its side as she rolled. She tumbled and could just barely see Lena looking over the edge of the path, her face scrunched in worry.

She rolled for some time before coming to a harsh stop at the bottom of the hill in a explosion of dirt and dry grass. She groaned and pushed herself up, rubbing her head and watching the twigs fall from her hair as she looked around. She landed in a small clearing, the edge lined with large trees and brightly colored plants. Luckily she did not fall directly into one of Lex’s camps, so she stood and took a good look around.

“don’t worry Kara, I'm coming!” she heard Lena yell, too distracted to turn around. There was a hawk perched on a branch at the edge of the clearing. She had rarely seen one so close so she went to take a closer look. What harm could there be in taking a look?

There was rustling behind her and a scream.

“Kara look out!” she turned just in time to see a wolf come right at her. it pounced; its teeth bared as she dove away. It landed with a resounding thud where she was once standing, a low growl coming from the wolf’s mouth. She put one hand up and slowly reached for her rifle as she backed away. She pulled it around and pointed it up too, hoping if she looked bigger they would get scared and go away.

That was not the case, as it launched at her again, almost swiping her stomach as she dodged. Lena was almost down the hill, her small pistol in hand as she tried to not fall down like she did. Kara didn’t want to shoot and risk being found, so she continued dodging and waited for Lena to get to her.

“don’t shoot! Just hurry!” she cried as her and the wolf began to circle one another. The animal tried to pounce again, Kara only just moving away in time. She had felt their grey fur just graze her forearm it was so close. She was feeling winded now and was looking around for their escape route. She spotted a opening between a few of the trees, hoping that would take them quickly away from the angry wolf.

Lena finally made it to the bottom of the hill, looking to Kara for guidance. She pointed to the spot as she tried to keep the wolf’s attention on her, Lena looking scared but nodding all the same. The brunette ran for the path and waited for her to join, all she needed to do was get away. Kara rolled, the wolf just barely nicking her shoe and she bolted. She grabbed Lena’s hand and they were off, the wolf in a surprisingly sloppy pursuit. Maybe their game of keep up from earlier had helped.

“don’t look back!” she yelled to Lena, who looked terrified as she peeked over her shoulder. her head shot forward as the path opened up some more. It forked and Kara pulled them to the left. She stopped when she spotted a full pack of wolves.

_Must be their friend_ she sighed. Of course, just their luck. She quickly turned to the right and kept running, praying they were going in the right direction. The wolf was gaining on them and she was low on energy. This had to end soon. She barreled through the path and didn’t even notice she was running over the edge till it was too late.

They fell a short ways, down into a small lake. It was secluded and hopefully the wolves would end their pursuit now. Her and Lena swam to the surface of the shallow waters, looking up above them to where they had been standing.

She could see the wolf looking over the edge, watching them for a moment before walking away with a small huff. She let put a breath and swam with Lena to the shore. The brunette coughed and collapsed on her back, closing her eyes and taking heavy breaths. Her hand rested on her forehead as Kara sat beside her.

“you know, that reminds me of old runners jump, back in Midvale. never had the courage to jump off but seems easy enough now” Kara huffed, pushing her palm to her ear to try and get the water out. Lena waved her off, shaking her head.

“that’s the second cliff I’ve jumped off of this week. I don’t want to jump off another thank you” she joked as she rested her hand on her chest. Kara sat beside her, watching her chest aggressively rise and fall.

“I’ll make sure to let everyone looking for us knows. No more cliffs” Kara was smiling and sat up. Lena hit her hip, the brunette smiling with her.

“you are hilarious Danvers” she mocked, her hands going back to lay on her chest. Kara looked to the water and grabbed a rock next to her foot. She grabbed it and stood up, angling her body to the side and making her hand level with the water. she shot her hand forward, letting the stone go and watching it skip all the way to the edge, hitting the opposite shore.

She turned and saw Lena watching her with a small smile.

“couldn’t resist huh?” she asked breathlessly. Her knee was up, and she had her arm resting atop it, her hand hanging down. Kara’s brain immediately went to take a mental picture of the woman in front of her before her words caught up.

“just wanted to show you my many skills.” she joked, walking up and away from the water. _And maybe let out a little of my anxiousness_ she thought to herself. Lena sluggishly followed, both of their shows making a loud sloshing noise as they walked.

“its gonna be really hard for us to be stealthy like this” Lena said, pointing to their soaking wet clothes. Kara nodded and made grabby hands. Lena raised an eyebrow, obviously unaware what she was asking for.

“the map okay?” Lena’s made an ‘O’ with her mouth and took her bag off. it was soaking wet but Kara smiled when she pulled out a small plastic bag, the map thankfully dry.

“the necklace isnt in there is it?” she asked, peaking into the bag. Lena just shook her head and put it back on as she held the map out to her.

“I gave it to Nia before we left. Its kinda heavy and I thought it would be hard to have to wear or carry while we went”

Kara happily took the map from her and examined it. she looked for the closest camp, a small supply station not far from where they are.

“we could try there. See if we can’t score some better clothes, preferably with less rips” she pointed to herself and her poor excuse for a tank top, various cuts and holes scattered about. She examined Lena, whose clothes had not been through anything as bad as hers. A few tears were all that was wrong but she was sure a new set wouldn’t be a bad idea anyway.

“that might be best. And maybe we could learn some information on the place they’re holding James and Mon-El. “ Lena pulled out her hair tie and ran her fingers through her hair. She rung it out, the water pooling at her feet, and pulled it up into a neater ponytail.

Kara was afraid she was drooling when she saw her skin further exposed. When did she suddenly become so easily distracted? she actually might know the answer, it was just hard to swallow. She had seen pretty women before but Lena? Lena was on another plane entirely. She had never fallen so hard for someone this quickly, threat of imminent death aside.

She shook the thoughts from her head. This is _not_ the time to go gooey eyed at anyone. When they get out of here sure, but not when so much is at stake. When this was over, maybe Kara would ask her on a proper outing, just them.

“lets get to it then” she smirked, taking a confident step forward. The cool vibe she thought she was exuding disappeared immediately. Her boot made a loud squishing noise and she slipped some in the grass, which made Lena giggle, causing Kara to shake her head at herself.

“lets hurry and get you some new clothes, Indiana Jones” Lena patted her back and walked ahead, adjusting the bag on her shoulders as she went. Kara ran as best as she could to catch up, the obnoxious squelching of her shoes following her as well.

“from what I can tell on the map, the other camp should be this way” Lena pointed down further into the forest, where the sounds of movement seemed to be coming from. Kara gulped. She hoped this went as well as their last camp raid but with tense situations like that, anything could happen.

Elsewhere, At Camp 1

“we’re searching all over for them, Lex. They won’t hide from us for long” Eve assured him, her posture stiff as she stood at attention next to him. he was sat in a flimsy folding chair, his feet kicked up and resting on the low table where the map of the cave system sat.

“as you’ve said, Eve. But they never should have been able to escape in the first place” he was keeping himself from snapping at the idiot. What was the point of having your own mercenary group and a former Kasnian general at the helm if they hardly gave results?

“my men are working day in and day out searching. It’s only a matter of time, sir.” She looked like she was becoming red in the face, Lex deeply enjoying the fact he was grating her nerves.

“I hope so. Or I might have to find a new general” he saw her teeth clench and her hands shook at her sides, but she didn’t raise a finger. She knew her place, he has assured she does. No one acts against lex Luthor and gets away with it, not even his useless kid sister.

“and how is our guest? Is he comfortable” he asked nonchalantly, picking at the corner of the map on the table. Eve was still tense after his previous comment, and her face turned disgusted at the new subject.

“As much as he can be in his situation. If only he would shut up” her jaw was clenched, and Lex knew all he needed about the situation. She grabbed her walkie talkie from the table and stepped away, obviously doing her best to keep calm.

“I should go, I can better lead the efforts from the front. If you’ll excuse me” the woman told him through her teeth. She stomped to the door and opened it, slamming it back in place hard as she left. He shrugged with a smile.

_Luckily, she won’t be leaving this stupid cave either_ he smiled brighter. He didn’t need anyone getting in his way, not even his own subordinates, and he most certainly did not need any loose ends when this was over. His plan was coming together, only his stupid sister and her new friends were mucking it up. No matter, he could deal with her as he always had.

She had limits and _morals_ to guide her, something he never understood. This was what made him better. He had neither, nothing could hold him back from victory, not even silly ideas of ethics. This was all a game, and he was determined to crush the competition. He could use his own sister’s ideals against her, using her silly kindness for his benefit as he always has.

He set his legs down onto the ground, pushing his chair back as he stood. He went to the room attached to his small headquarters. He opened the door and plastered a smirk there when he looked down.

“comfortable there old friend?” he asked, the cameraman tied to the beam holding up the ceiling and gagged attempted to yell from their position on the ground. James tried to shake his hands, his arms barely budging at his harsh movements.

“I'm glad you like your accommodations.” He went over to him and crouched, looking James in the eye.

“I know my sister. You're her dear friend. She couldn’t leave you behind” he examined the makeshift cell’s walls with glee.

“don’t worry for your fellow captive, he’s doing just fine with my men around” Lex smiled wide, and it made James frown.

“and I know of Miss Danvers’s…exploits. And her personality. She has the means to get you, and the will to do it” he patted the man’s cheek, his head trying in vain to pull away but to no avail. Lex laughed and slapped him, his head hitting the beam from the force.

“don’t you worry! I won’t torture you” he told James with a cheerful voice. He continued to try to yell as he stood in the doorway. He looked over his shoulder and grinned.

“yet” he slammed the door behind him and walked gleefully back to his seat. He looked over the papers stolen from the Danvers expedition, nodding as he looked.

“this world will be mine, and it’s all thanks to you Kara Danvers” he chuckled and threw the papers down, kicking his feet back up and enjoying the spoils of _his_ work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter will have a shootout, and some new revelations for kara and lena. did i say next chapter would be short? i meant it would be around 6,000 words lol i just finished it today (day after i posted) so it should be up tomorrow or the next day if not today.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lena makes a discovery and the two of them make a flashy getaway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what! two chapter in two days?? im on a roll. this one is way longer than i originally planned and is probably the longest chapter ive ever written of any story and i actually really like how it came out. some of you have been making guesses in the comments and you might be pleasantly surprised. the next chapter should be about as long if not longer than this one. i had it mostly written hence why it came so quickly but the next might take a minute. hope you enjoy it! let me know what youre thinking in the comments! till next time!

Kara peeked around a tree, her hand in front of Lena almost protectively as she watched a group of mercenaries walk to a truck. They were just outside of the outpost listed on their map and it was looking like it would be a difficult task getting inside. 

“It’ll be tough but if we’re careful, we can do it” Kara whispered, putting her hand down to take a step on the road. The group left, leaving the entrance to the camp open to them. It was well hidden by trees and vines, so what was inside or how many people were there was an unknown quantity to them. 

“They sure are a confident bunch if they didn’t leave guards in their place” Lena whispered as she and Kara quietly crouched and walked over. Everywhere they saw patrols it was the same thing; lazy soldiers who passed by them unaware. It was lucky for them that Lex couldn’t be bothered to get better men.

“They must not see anyone as a threat to them.” Kara answered, stopping again to peek into the outpost. Lena stood beside her and watched the blonde stiffen and her head shoot to hide behind their cover. 

“This is way bigger than we thought” she told her and pointed inside. Lena looked at her uncertainly but leaned over to look. She wasn’t kidding. The area was flattened, dozens of tents lining the ground as people walked out of them and to the back. There was a small makeshift parking lot with various all-terrain vehicles there. She gulped when she spotted a particularly rugged looking jeep with a turret attached to the top. The whole thing was covered in thick armor and she hoped it was just for show but in her mind knew better. 

“How are we going to get past that?” She whispered desperately. This was beyond anything they had faced to this point. There’s no way to know just how many people there are inside. The only guarantee they had was Lex needed the both of them alive for his plans, even if only temporary. 

The sound of engines came from inside the camp. Kara briefly looked in and when her head shot back to Lena, she pushed her to hide in the foliage on the side of the road. Cars rumbled past them, Kara’s arms bracketing her as they waited for them to go. Their noses were practically touching they were so close, breaths mixed together as they anxiously waited for the mercenaries to leave. A drop of water slipped from the end of Kara’s nose, falling onto Lena’s shirt. The proximity made her feel impossibly hot all of a sudden.

Soon enough, the sounds became more distant and they were alone on the side of the road. Kara put her arms down, awkwardly smiling as she went to look in the camp again, this time with seemingly no one left inside. Potentially one problem solved.

“we go quietly, and with this there is no we. I’ll go in and you hide out” Kara went to go inside the camp, but Lena grabbed the back of her soaked shirt. There was no way in hell Kara was leaving her sight during any of this. 

“Nope. Not happening. I said I would help protect you and ditching you is the opposite of that” Lena let her shirt go, watching the blonde’s shocked face as she went headfirst into the camp. She ignored how fast her heart was pounding as she walked into the lion’s den. The last thing she needed was to start panicking. She heard rushed footsteps and saw Kara catch up to her, her head on a swivel as they walked. 

“Just be on the lookout. If they spot us, we’re screwed” Kara was speaking just barely above a whisper as they went to crouch behind a rather large tent near the front of the camp. She noticed it was largely quiet and prayed that that meant it was a skeleton crew inside. 

Kara got down on her hands and knees and lifted up the bottom of the tent just an inch. She glanced under it and quickly let it go. She turned to her and pointed to the tent. 

“It’s empty and looks like it’s got some clothes. Hope they have my size “Kara smirked as she carefully walked to the front flap of the tent. Lena smiled at her joking tone as she slipped in behind Kara. She needed that little bit of humor to calm her heart rate, even if it was just a little. 

The tent they went into seemed to be where a few of the mercenaries were living. It has a few cots, duffle bags hastily thrown under them. There was a table with an unfinished game of poker on the surface, a few Kasnian bills in the center. It reminded her for a second that even though these people were hunting them, they were still just people. People caught up in whatever game Lex has decided to play with all their lives. 

“Watch the opening. I’ll see if any of this will work” Kara went to the first bag and began to rummage around. Lena had her eyes trained on the entrance, her hands hovering over the pistol Kara had given her. She had gotten a quick crash course from Kara on the basics, but Lena still was unsure about using it.

She’s never been a violent person. Most of her life she’s been a fairly staunch pacifist actually, but she knew that sometimes you had to defend yourself. It didn’t make it easier to do but at least easier to live with. 

“What size would you say you are? Like a medium?” Kara queried, her face in deep concentration as she threw the bags contents on the ground. She held up a plain black shirt, giving it a quick sniff check first. She shrugged and set it aside.

“Medium I suppose but it doesn’t matter too much at this point” Lena turned back to the entrance and strained to listen for any noise on the other side. She could hear Kara continue her search, a sound of a zipper flowing through the tent. 

“Right. I think I’ve found some that should fit. Come here” Lena whipped around and bumped into Kara, who held her new clothes out in front of her. It was a simple white t-shirt and black cargo pants. She was happy to see neither had the distinct logo Lex’s men were wearing. She wasn’t sure she could stomach that. She took the clothes from Kara’s hands and watched as the blonde grabbed her own clothes. 

She reached for the zipper of her pants but abruptly stopped. The other woman was still looking at her, a blush forming on her cheeks as she clutched her own outfit to her chest. Lena smirked unconsciously at the look on her face. Kara shook her head and sputtered as she turned her back to Lena. Her shoulders were squished up towards her head in a tense stance.

“M-my fault! Sorry, so sorry “she stammered out, her shirt slipping from her hands and dropping to the floor. Lena wanted to laugh as she rushed to pick it up, hitting her head on the cot in front of her. 

“Don’t with about it, Kara. I’m flattered really” Lena said as she too turned around. She began to take her dirty clothes off, peeling the wet t-shirt off and taking the new one in her hands. She could hear Kara changing behind her, the rustling of clothes playing in her ears. She felt her own blush coming on as she debated turning around. 

_Way to think like a perv,_ _Lena_ she chastised. She couldn’t help the wandering her mind did as she pulled on the clean pair of pants. From what she had seen of Kara, the woman no doubt worked out on a regular basis. Assuming the rest of her is as toned as her arms, she just knew there was plenty to drool about there. 

“Get it together Lena” 

“Did you say something?” Kara asked. Lena clamped her mouth closed when she realized she said that out loud. She was a terrible liar and she really hoped Kara didn’t press on it as she wasn’t sure she would be able to tell a convincing lie.

“Oh nothing. Are you ready to go?” She asked as she looked to her left. She could just see Kara from the corner of her eye. The blonde was putting her boots back on, her pants still open at the zipper. She jumped up and zipped the fly, hugging herself with a smile. She had on a similar outfit to her, a plain black t-shirt the only difference.

“Yup. Feels good to be dry” the archaeologist walked forward, grabbing her rifle she had taken off to get dressed. Lena grabbed her bag and the two carefully looked to the outside of the tent. Still, no one was there. It was like a ghost camp. Maybe they could use that to their advantage. 

“We should look around. See if we can find anything to help us get James and Mon-El back” Kara offered, stepping out of the tent with caution. Hopefully it wouldn’t hurt them to look around. So long as no one came back while they were here. 

Lena looked around the camp to see if she could spot who the important person around here was. Surely someone who worked for Lex was also a big-headed ass like their boss. They would want something far nicer than what the others were living in. 

After scanning the other tents quickly, Lena spotted one that was larger than the others. While everyone had a shabbier looking military tent, the large one looked newer, fewer holes and a sleeker material. As if someone insisted that they get something better. Lena lightly slapped Kara’s shoulder and pointed, the blonde following her line of sight. 

“Let’s try there first, it looks promising” she began to walk toward it, but Kara grabbed her arm. She pointed behind her to a tent on the opposite side of camp. 

“We could cover more if we split up. I’ll go to that tent and you take yours” Lena didn’t want to split up but with possibly little time to look, she reluctantly agreed. Kara briefly squeezed her arm before going off to the other tent in a light jog. Lena looked to her destination with determination. This one was promising. She could just feel it. 

She carefully walked in front, still unsure if anyone was around. A quick look inside the tent told her it was empty and so she stepped in. Right away she knew she was right. This one had a more elaborate set up then the others. It had a single bed, some tables and chests along with some gun racks. A stack of papers sat on the table in the middle and Lena rushed to them

She quickly scanned the different pages. They looked to be reports on various surveying expeditions through the cave. To her surprise, all of them reported that they lost contact with each group. Something or someone was making them disappear and Lena was now worried that they and the mercenaries weren’t the only ones here. 

She shuffled through some more papers, nothing of note other than some apparent diary entries that were rather angry and unsatisfied with her brother. The language they used actually made her laugh. It seems even he couldn’t control everyone as much as he wants. 

She stopped in her tracks when she heard the telltale sounds of engines coming closer. She peeked outside the tent and saw what appeared to be the whole camp coming back at once. She could feel herself starting to break out in a sweat. She opened the tent and ran to hide in a thick Bush to her right. She clenched her teeth as she realized she was hiding right beside the small car park. 

She hoped Kara would find a good hiding place as well. _She knew that they shouldn’t have split up!_ While she was berating herself, the car’s started to stream into the camp. At least 4 came back, one troop transport, two Jeeps and an SUV, all of them carrying a few people inside. A SUV came through at the front, the leader of the pack possibly. The windows were tinted pitch black, preventing Lena from seeing who was inside as they parked in the spot just feet away from her. 

She held her breath as the car came to a stop, the front doors opening. A boot stepped down from the driver’s side door, and glove hand coming to rest at the top of the door. When the person stepped out, Lena could see that it was the same woman who had dragged Kara on the boat. Eve she realizes is her name, Kara had told them with venom dripping from her voice that first night on the plane. Gosh that seemed ages ago. 

“I have rights you know! I don’t have to sit here and take anything from you” a voice cried from inside the car. It was familiar but she couldn’t place where she had heard it. The woman turned with great disgust to the person in the passenger side. 

“You’re in Kasnia, there’s no such thing. So shut up and work before I hurt you” she answered coldly. She stepped away from the car and slammed the door with so much force she was surprised the window didn’t shatter. 

“Oh! You sure are the master of flirtation” the man’s voice joked, a hint of smugness in his voice.

“And you have no right to talk like that! We hire you to help us get into the city and you are useless!” She yelled, going around to point an accusing finger at the other person in the car. 

“I told Lex you would be a waste of money! We should’ve paid Danvers but no, we get stuck with you!” she threw her hands up in the air and stomped toward the tent Lena had been in. Finally, the person she had been screaming at came out. Lena let a gasp slip out when she saw who it was. 

Standing there in front of her, in fresh clothes and without a new scratch, was Mon-El. One of the people they had come all this way to save. The only sign of his captivity was the black eye he had gotten back in Greece. He had a satchel around his shoulder and a gun on his hip as he tried to defend himself. 

“Hey I’m just as good as that hack! Just give me some time and we’ll be in soon enough” he slammed his car door, causing the woman to turn around with fire in her eyes. If looks could kill Mon-El would be dead a million times over. And honestly, with what she knew now, Lena wouldn’t mind it one bit. First, he betrays them, then he disrespects Kara? This man was slimier than she thought. 

“You better hurry. Lex is getting impatient. You did good helping us back in Greece, but you can only rely on that good faith for so long” she told him sternly. Lena could feel the rage bubble up to the surface as she watched their interaction. Kara had held this guy with so much care, and he goes and does this. He was why Nia had a twisted ankle, why Sam needed stitches, why James was god knew where and Kara was shot. 

She was ready to forget her pacifist ways and rip him limb from limb when she spotted Kara to her right. She was crouched between some tents near the front of the camp. She scooted closer to the edge of the bushes and peeked her head through just a little. She watched the blonde’s eyes widen when they made eye contact. She put up her index finger then with her other hand pointed to the car outfitted with the machine gun. She shifted on her feet with a nod, flinching when she noticed Eve’s eyes glance in her direction.

The woman gripped her gun and walked slowly to where she was in the bushes. She covered her mouth with her hand, chanting in her mind _please don’t_ as the mercenary came within a foot. She stopped dead in her tracks when there was shouting behind her.

One of the tents was engulfed in flames, and steadily catching the others on fire as well. People began to scramble for water and extinguishers, including Eve who began barking orders. Mon-El ran off to the tent Lena had been in, the anger Lena felt towards him still growing even if he was out of sight. He would pay for what he did, but first she had to tell Kara.

All the panic allowed Kara to slip away and into the parking lot. Lena looked around, Eve and the others still occupied with their burning camp. The fire had engulfed most of the tents on one side and had jumped across the small road down the middle of camp and thanks to the embers in the wind, was spreading to the opposite side. Lena could admit she was taking a lot of pleasure in seeing their camp go up in bright red flames.

Lena took the opportunity and got up from her hiding spot, running to the Kara had already gotten into. She was waving for her to get in, the keys already in the ignition.

“get in the driver’s seat!” she yelled as she crawled to the back seat of their new jeep. She climbed into the turret and held onto the rifle there. She looked oddly in her element as she reloaded it.

“get us out of here!” the blonde cried, Lena taking the hint and revving the engine. It roared to life, catching the attention of the occupied mercenaries. Some scrambled to grab their rifles, Eve taking the lead as she stood in the middle of the road, rifle in hand. Lena eyed her down and the mercenary leader smirked as she slammed her foot on the gas.

The car shot forward, barreling towards the exit with a sharp screech of tires. Eve didn’t move, shooting into the windshield. Lena ducked down but was relieved to know it was bullet proof glass. The bullets hit the window but only cracked it rather than going through. Glass spiderwebs formed in the window, spreading out where the bullets made contact.

They weren’t defenseless though. Kara shot back, peppering the ground around their feet with bullets. A few of them were nicked in the legs, falling to the ground in pain.

They pushed through the mercenaries in their way, Eve jumping out from in front of the car at the last second. She saw her slam her fist into the ground in the rear view mirror. They squeezed through the other cars crowding the entrance and turned down the road, hoping Lex’s men had made it long enough to get away.

Lena was breathing hard as they escaped. She could hear Kara shooting behind them, a peek in the rearview mirror showed her that a few of the jeeps from the camp were in tight pursuit. One of them sped up, coming to drive right beside her. She looked at the car in fear as the passenger looked like they were opening the door, getting read to jump onto their car.

They were stopped when Kara pointed the rifle at them, shooting the woman in the arm and leg to keep her from jumping. Lena watched in horror as the woman yelled out and fell from the car, rolling in the road behind them. she left a gory trail of blood in the dirt that nearly made Lena vomit. The driver of the car stopped its pursuit.

This still left two cars chasing them and Lena could begin to see the end of the road. They would have to get out of the car there, preferably without anyone pursuing them.

“floor it!” Kara yelled at her from the turret. Lena’s mouth dropped.

“but we’re running out of road!”

“just do it and wait for my signal!” she yelled back over the sound of gunfire. Lena didn’t have time to question it much further, she could only press her foot down on the gas and pray Kara had a plan.

The gunfire seemed to increase in volume, the little thumps on the outside of their vehicle telling her their enemy was shooting back. They were a few hundred feet from the dead end and getting ever closer.

One of the cars exploded in a fiery display of twisted metal and tires, the screams of their occupants mixing with the shots firing off. Lena felt her stomach churn at the thought of them having a similar fate. The images of burnt flesh and death began to play far too much in her mind.

Only one car was left and there was maybe 200 feet of road. Her breaths were getting shorter as she felt the beginnings of a panic attack. She hadn’t had one since she was a teenager, but this situation was beginning to get the better of her. She had never seen death like this, in her face as it was. So in her face. her mother disappeared beneath the surface of the water when she was four, these poor people were killed in blazing explosions in a secret cave.

There was a banging on the hood from where Kara was at.

“when I say now, stop the car” she screamed, gun still held in one hand as the vehicle behind still gave chase. Lena just nodded through her panic and focused on the road. The scenery blurred past her as they neared the end. With a hundred feet left, Kara slipped back into the car and grabbed the back of her seat.

“NOW!” she yelled into her ear. Lena hit the breaks and the car skid to a stop. The car behind them didn’t get the memo, the driver swerving to avoid them as they didn’t stop in time. They careened straight into a large tree, the metal frame curling around the trunk with a sickening crash. She couldn’t help but stare at it, unable to move from her seat until her door was opened.

Kara grabbed her hand and they ran, the sound of more pursuers behind them pushing her to run faster.

Everything was distorted and hazy as they ran, the only grounding force being Kara’s hand in hers.

“we can’t stop okay! We have to- “Kara was cut off as she dropped through a hole in the ground, Lena following suite. It was a short fall into pitch black. Looking up, she saw it was a hole barely big enough a fit a person in.

As she pushed herself up, she realized the ground was almost squishy. A groan from beneath her told her why. She moved over and fumbled around in her bag, hand clasping around the end of a flashlight. With a click of the button, she shined it down and saw poor Kara pressed into the floor. She slowly turned over, looking up at the dark ceiling.

“hope I was able to cushion your fall” she groaned, rubbing her face with a grimace. Lena didn’t answer, sure her voice would begin to shake as much as her hands currently were. Kara put a hand on her belt, her face scrunching up as she took off some mangled broken pieces of plastic and wires.

“walkie talkie’s busted” she sighed, dropping her hands to the floor. There went their ability to communicate with the others. She knew she should’ve had a bigger reaction to it but at the moment she felt numb. When she didn’t say anything, Kara looked up with worry in her eyes. The woman looked at her hands, the shaking obvious with the flashlight.

“hey, hey talk to me” Kara whispered as she crawled forward. She took the flashlight from her hands and set it down then took her in her arms. Lena couldn’t help but let her chin dip down to rest on her shoulder, her cheek just grazing the blonde curls on her neck.

She was still shaking, her breath coming in shallow as Kara wrapped her arms tighter around her waist. A hand came up to rub her back, the constant action soothing her nerves.

“I-its just the whole thing. How many people did I just kill?” her voice was quivering, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she agonized over the fates of those people behind them. Kara sighed and pulled her almost impossibly closer. The steady beating of the blonde’s heart helped but didn’t ease the pace of her own.

“don’t think about that right now. If we hadn’t run, they would’ve hurt us and the others.” Kara tried to reassure her, but Lena felt a sob begin to break from her throat and fill the darkness.

“just listen to my voice and take breath in for five seconds” Lena nodded through the tears and took a deep breath, counting it out. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5._

“now hold it for 7 seconds” Kara encouraged her, fingers playing with the small hairs at the back of her neck. It felt impossible at first, her sobbing keeping her from holding it in for that long. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7._

“okay now breath out for 5 seconds again. And keep doing that till you feel okay again” Lena listened, taking in deep breath and letting them out steadily over the next couple minutes. Continuously in, hold, out over and over. She slowly felt her senses coming back to her, her heart rate slowing down steadily back to normal. But the pain remained.

“why did he have to do this?” she sobbed into Kara’s shirt, hands wringing into the fabric so tight she was afraid she might rip it. she knew the woman wouldn’t be able to answer this, that no one could but it she just had to let out those questions. It was eating her up inside and she had to let it free. Kara pulled her head tighter into her neck, shushing her as she cried.

“I don’t know. I wish I did but I don’t. but I promise you” Kara pulled her head away, hands holding her cheeks as she could just make out from the faint light the sincerity on her face. a small smile graced the blonde’s lips.

“I will be here for you through all of it. I'm here and I'm staying” Lena searched for any lie in what she said but knew there was none. Kara meant it, and for once in her life, Lena believed it. so many people had said similar things, her brother who was hunting them included. Yet with Kara she knew she wouldn’t have to worry about her leaving like all the others.

“thank you” she whispered, dropping her head back onto her shoulder. they stayed like that till the tears finally stopped, Lena moving to pull away first. The brunette knew this wasn’t the time to have mental breakdowns. She could save those for when she got home. She wiped at her eyes and grabbed the flashlight, standing to examine their surroundings.

“what is this place?” Kara wondered as Lena walked to one wall, pointing the flashlight at it as she ran a hand across. There were signs of color on the wall, a faint red and blue dancing along the surface. Lena turned and beckoned for Kara to come.

“let me s- “there was a crash behind her. she turned around and saw Kara sprawled on the floor, a small generator behind her. she rushed over and pickled Kara up, examining the out of place technology. Not only was it odd to see it here, but a small light was still on. She bent down and picked up a cord, seeing that it went further into wherever they are.

“let’s see where it goes” the blonde nodded and walked low beside the cord to follow, Lena dutifully pointing the flashlight down as they walked.

Sure enough, the hole opened up further, some more modern equipment lying around. Kara looked at it all with wide eyes and went to a dusty table lamp. She blew the dust off and pressed the button, the light coming on to their extreme surprise.

They were further surprised to see that it was what looked to be an old research site. Parts of the ground were cordoned off, tools like brushes and chisels still lying on the ground. There was stacks of papers on a few tables, a pair of glass sitting beside a container. It was like whoever was working here just got up and walked away one day and didn’t come back.

That wasn’t all that caught their attention. On the walls was a large ancient looking mural, the only recognizable image to her being the tower in the center, the one just like the necklace. The blonde walked over and examined it, a playful smile on her face.

“it’s Krypton. There’s the tower” she pointed to the middle with glee.

“and some kind of market maybe?” she pointed near the bottom, where what looked to be stalls were sat. the blonde moved on, rounding with inquisitive excitement on the mass stacks of papers.

She watched as Kara approached one of the stacks, fanning them out on the surface and scrutinizing their contents. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she read through them. Lena watched over her shoulder as the flipped through.

Slowly, Lena watched as Kara’s face fell, her body winding up tighter. There were unshed tears in her eyes as she pushed to look through them. when the first tear fell, Lena put a hand on her shoulder. Kara shook her head and dropped the papers, slamming her hands on the table. Her head bent down and Lena could just see the drops falling onto the dusty table, tears steadily falling. Oddly though there was a smile on her face.

“they did it.” she whispered. She hit the table again and soon sobs came forth. The smile didn’t falter though.

“they did it. they did it” she chanted as her knees came down to the dirt floor, her hands holding the table to keep herself up. She let go and slowly sank further, her hands going to the ground as she crumbled further into the dirt. Lena went down with her, pulling on her shoulders to get her face off the ground.

“who did what? Kara what happened?” Lena had so many questions and Kara wasn’t in a state to give any as she broke down on the floor. She gave a rueful laugh and her hand that was on the ground curled into a fist.

“my parents. This was their dig. Their names are on everything. They found Krypton” this time it was Kara’s turn to cry into her shoulder, the heart wrenching sobs of her companion breaking her heart. Just like Kara was there for her earlier, she would show up now when she needed her. its what friends like them do.

“They did it so why didn’t they come home?” she hissed painfully.

“why would they leave me?” the broken whisper that came form the blonde nearly shattered her heart. This kind woman didn’t deserve any of this.

“maybe they didn’t have a choice. Maybe something else happened” Lena tried to soothe her, whispering kind words into her ear. Kara tried to reign in her crying, rubbing at her face as she tried to move away.

“I'm sorry. I shouldn’t burden you with this kinda thing. I'm sure ive already stepped all over a lot of boundaries” she tried to laugh but it came out as another sob. Lena wouldn’t have this, as she pulled Kara back into a hug.

“for a friend like you, there are no boundaries” Kara sucked in a breathe, Lena really realizing what she just said. It wasn’t a lie though. What she felt for Kara went well beyond what friends felt, what they would do. _Especially when you want to be more than friends_ she mused in the deep recesses of her mind.

“thank you Lena. Really.” Kara murmured into her shoulder. Maybe that hint of hope came back as the blonde sniffled and backed away, going back to look at the papers. Her eyes were drying as she had a new drive.

“maybe something in their research could tell us.” She hiccupped as she ran to the next table, flipping through a small box containing files. A pair of glasses beside the box caught her eye and the blonde stopped. She picked them up gingerly and examined them before putting them in her pocket.

“they were dads” she answered solemnly Lena’s silent question as she continued to look. She then pulled out a folder and flipped through it, quickly scanning the page. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. The folder fell to the table with a dusty plop. She ran back over to Lena and waved the paper in the air in front of her face. she looked a mix of shocked and unimaginably excited, and it was keeping Lena in suspense.

“they still exist! Holy fuck they exist!” she was yelling now though not in an angry way as she began looking over the paper again.

“maybe they know what happened to my parents!” before Lena could ask who, there was a shuffling behind her, and Kara’s face dropped.

There was a group dressed in red robes with black armor before them, swords and spears pointed in their direction with serious faces. They held shields with a red diamond shape on the front. An older man stood in the center, his grey hair and beard striking against the red and blue of his own robes. A stylized S was on his chest in shining gold.

“ _Don’t Move_ ” the apparent leader barked at them in a foreign language Lena had never heard. He gestured something to his soldiers, and they moved in closer. Kara waived her hands and began to speak back.

“ _wait! We are not enemies_!” the man put his hand up again and the soldiers stopped. He stepped up to Kara.

“ _you are with **him**_?” Kara shook her head vigorously at whatever he asked.

“ _he’s trying to kill us and our friends_ ” the man nodded in some kind of understanding and stepped back. He looked at the both of them and put his right hand up. the weapons were put away and he put his hand in front of him in a handshake.

“my name is Jor-El, the leader of the city of Krypton. I believe we may help you” he said in a strange accent, but his English was impeccable.

Lena’s mouth dropped in shock as she shook his hand and Kara did the same. 

“come with us. You can explain yourself more than” Jor-El told them as he let go of Kara’s hand. The blonde was still deep in shock and just nodded her head. Lena’s head was spinning with everything that just happened. The Kryptonians were real, and they’re still alive. Somehow, they’ve managed to hide out for this long, undetected.

Jor-El gestured to the path behind him and walked off, Lena and Kara following close behind as his men kept watch.

“it is not far from here” he told them over his shoulder. Finally, with some free time, Lena knew just what to talk about. Kara still didn’t know about Mon-El and Lena just had to tell her. He had gotten them into this mess, and she knew Kara would want him to pay for it.

“Kara, there’s something I need to tell you. And I know you wont like it, but you have to listen” Kara looked at her concerned as they walked. She grabbed her hand as the crinkle formed between her eyebrows. Lena had noticed it in many of their interactions and she couldn’t help but think of how cute it was, even in tense situations.

“you can tell me anything Lena” Kara assured her. Lena gulped. She just knew this wouldn’t be easy for her.

“I saw Mon-El back at the outpost. With Eve” Kara shook her head in surprise and smiled.

“haha! He’s okay, the bastard! What a relief” she put a hand to her chest and Lena winced. Kara managed to think the exact opposite of the truth.

“he wasn’t a prisoner. Eve mentioned they were paying him for help. He’s working with them, probably since before Greece” she said it slow, hoping that would let it sink in better with Kara. the blonde’s smile disappeared; her eyes murky with confusion as she absorbed the news.

“Mon-El? Helping them?” her voice was shaky as the information made its way through her brain. The blonde looked down at the ground in deep thought. Then she shook her head resolutely and Lena’s stomach dropped. This would be tougher than she thought.

“he wouldn’t do that. he just wouldn’t. its not who he is” Lena’s sighed and grabbed onto her arm. She could just see Jor-El watching them from the corner of his eye. She wondered what he thought of all this.

“its true Kara. I saw him. he wasn’t a prisoner, he even said that he was a better archaeologist than you” Kara scoffed and looked away.

“I'm sorry Lena. Maybe you misheard. Maybe hes playing them. Mon-El just wouldn’t do that to us, I know it” Lena held her tighter. She didn’t think Kara would resist the idea so much. It hurt when she tried to think why. Was it a matter of him being an older friend? Or because she was a Luthor?

“don’t you trust me Kara? I heard him myself” she couldn’t help that her voice was starting to raise. It wasn’t out of anger though. She just wanted to help to protect Kara and knowing Mon-El was a mole should help. She was trying to do her part to protect her and the blonde wasn’t letting her. Kara pulled her arm away and wrapped It around her shoulder.

“of course, I trust you Lena. Its not that. I just trust Mon-el too. I have faith in him” Kara tried to smile but it looked painful. Like a part of her just knew there was truth to the possibility.

“I know you believe in him Kara but he’s not the friend you knew before” Kara frowned and shook her head. She put her arm down and didn’t make eye contact.

“you don’t know him like I do Lena. He. wouldn’t. do. That.” there was emphasis on each word and Lena knew for now that she lost this battle. Kara just wouldn’t have it today. she walked ahead, going to stand beside one of Jor-El’s guards to make conversation. He Kryptonian was surprisingly flawless as they hit it off.

“give it time. I'm sure she will come to the idea again soon. Betrayal is the hardest hurt to deal with” she jumped up when Jor-El came to stand beside her, a warm smiled on his face. He clasped his hands behind his back and walked leisurely beside her.

“I'm just worried for her. they were close. He could use that against her.” she bit her lip worryingly, Jor-El nodding in understanding with a hum.

“then it is a good thing she has a friend like you to watch out for her” He patted her shoulder and looked ahead once more, walking with a confidence that only comes with years of wisdom. They came to the end of the tunnel, Jor-El standing with a proud smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter should have a few more reveals and revelations and some big hurt for kara and lena. make of that what you will.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lex makes a threat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey im back! just a tiny baby transition chapter to tide you over till next time. the next chapter is taking me awhile because its going to be pretty long. im currently possibly half way through it and its already at about 6000 words. so its taking me awhile to get through it. there should be a full update soon, maybe within the next few days or next 2 weeks. depends on how much i get written and how fast im able to edit it after. anyway, hope this little guy is entertaining. i'll be back soon with a much much longer and full of twists and turns chapter!

Lex stepped out of the passenger seat of the car, his shoe sinking into the layer of ash on the ground. He looked out around through his shades, eyeing the burnt camp with a scrutinizing eye. The men were cleaning up the mess, gathering what supplies were left in the rubble. Eve spotted him right away and ran over from her cleanup. she looked ever so slightly frantic and Lex would use that to his advantage.

“we’re looking for them right now Lex. They couldn’t have gotten far on foot” Eve assured him. he looked at her and smiled.

“Eve, I'm this close to killing someone and you are the closest person to me right now” he grinned with all his teeth as he raised a hand with his index finger and thumb almost touching, Eve taking the hint and taking a step back.

“so tell me, how is it that a poor filmmaker and a nobody archaeologist managed to slip away from a whole camp of the best soldiers from the Kasnian military?” he told her calmly. His tone must have been far more terrifying then he thought, as Eve tensed up in front of him.

“well you se-“ he put his hand up and stepped closer. He was seething and he hoped Eve could feel it off him.

“no you see. This is the second time you’ve failed me and I'm losing all patience. There are consequences when you fail me!” He ripped off his glasses and stared Eve down. There was the faint sound of crunching ash beside them. Lex turned his ire from Eve to their new guest. Mon-El shifted on his feet, not meeting Lex’s eye like the coward he was. Lex knew a weak man like him would be easy to control.

“we’ll get them Lex. We can make sure of it” Eve told him once again. Mon-El nodded, looking terrified. He clenched his teeth as he remembered the same promise from the other day.

“you two better. fail me again, and its on your heads” he slipped his shades back on and got back in the car, throwing one more disgusted look at the decimated camp before having his driver take them back to their headquarters.

“my sister is really testing my limits. I almost want to kill her too now” he commented to himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just thought I’d let everyone know I’m about 80% finished writing the next chapter as of October 29. It looks like it’ll be somewhere around 12 to 14 thousand words so buckle up! It’s a ride I can tell you that. I may or may not split it into two chapter just to make it easier to get them out idk. And its actually kinda violent so if that bothers you let me know and I’ll put in a warning before the part starts. So be prepared within the next couple days!


	9. The Rescue Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kara and lena get a well deserved break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here it is! the first part of a very wild section of the fic. its going to be separated into three parts cause it seemed to big and too diverse to be in a single chapter. the next part is mostly written, i just need to edit and the final part of this 'arc' will be written next. theyre all pretty long so that should be exciting for you guys. the next chapter and one after that will be very crazy. i can tell you that for sure. we're about halfway done now and it should be a good ride! i should be back soon with the next chapter, shouldnt be long from now. anyway, hope you like it! let me know what you think or if you have any ideas. love hearing from you all! till next time!

They stepped out of the tunnel and into the dimming light of the larger cave. They were brought to what looked to be a small farm, a group of people working on a small field in front of them. to one side was a farmhouse, another a smaller shed like building. The workers momentarily stopped working and looked at them with suspicion. Lena watched as Jor-El went ahead of them and assured them in his native tongue as they all nodded and walked away.

Kara came back to her and grabbed her hand, looking from side to side at the area around them. A child ran past, a straw doll in one hand as they laughed. it looked untouched by Lex’s men, probably due to the armed guards walking the perimeter. Jor-El turned back to them with a smile, looking them up and down with a scrutinizing eye.

“now I'm sure you have much to tell me, but the two of you look filthy, even if your clothes are clean. There is a pond just past the farmhouse. once you are clean, come find me” he shooed them away with a warm smile and the two of them jumped at the opportunity for a bath.

“I haven’t showered since we left the states so I'm grateful” Kara joked as she walked to the direction jor el had pointed to. Lena nodded, pulling her hair from the tight ponytail it was in and running a hand through it. it was greasy and actually kind of…crunchy was the only word she could think of.

“same. I don’t think I could’ve stood my hair any longer” the pond he mentioned came into sight, just barely. It was largely hidden by trees, a little oasis in the cave so to speak. There was a beam of light shining on it from the outside, the stars beginning to become visible in the sky outside, though a few clouds seemed to be forming overhead. The water was a bright blue color, unlike anything she had ever seen before and when Kara bent down to touch the surface, her smiling face looked back at her.

“you want to go first?” Kara asked over her shoulder, a hand running through the water.

“why take turns? There’s obviously enough room for the two of us?” Lena looked at the water, almost missing what just came out of her own mouth. Her face went a slight red as she replayed her sentence in her mind. Kara didn’t miss it either, her reflection’s eyes going wide and teeth going to bite her lip.

“ar-are you, um, sure?” the blonde gulped, going to rub the back of her neck. Lena wasn’t entirely sure about much right now other than she needed a bath, badly. She nodded and pulled at the hem of her shirt. Kara quickly cupped her hand over her eyes and turned her head.

“very. We’re both in dire need of a bath and I don’t want to waste any time” as she lifted her shirt, she saw Kara get up from the water’s edge. She kept her head dutifully pointed to the ground and walked to Lena’s left, turning her back to her.

“well um, tell me when you’re in the water” she muttered, continuing to give her some space. She bumped right into a tree, gasping as she fell down and onto the floor. Lena just shook her head and got undressed as Kara scrambled back to her feet. After setting her clothes in a neat pile beside the water, she put a foot in. the water was surprisingly warm and she slipped in with a content grin. She didn’t know how much she needed this until that very moment.

She took the opportunity to look back at the blonde, who was chivalrously looking anywhere but the water. Her jaw looked tight as she stood there.

“the waters great Kara! so hurry up!” she smirked as the blonde rushed to take her shirt off. at the first sight of skin, Lena looked away. As much as she had wanted to look, it wouldn’t be right. And if after all the signals Lena had been giving, maybe Kara really didn’t want her to.

Kara’s boots clattered to the ground somewhere behind her, the water’s surface soon rippling as she got in. the woman groaned and Lena looked to see her sink in, only the top half of her, surprisingly red, face visible. Her eyes were closed as she just stood in place.

“feels great right?” Lena asked, Kara nodded as she stood up a little more. The water rested just above her chest, strong shoulders visible above the water line. She finally opened her eyes but immediately turned away when she saw she was standing in front of her.

“yup, amazing” she squeaked, pulling her hair from her own ponytail for the first time. The blonde curls fell down, floating in the water in little tendrils. Lena hadn’t expected Kara to look even better this way, though she should have known she would. Come on, just look at her! Lena took a leap of faith, hoping she wouldn’t be rejected.

“you know you can look. I won’t crucify you for it or anything.” Lena bent down and dunked her head in, running her hands through her wet hair with a smirk. Kara watched over her shoulder with an open mouth, surprising her when she raked her eyes up and down.

“Really I’d be flattered” Kara sputtered at the words, looking down and dunking her head in the water too. when her head came back up, her face was still a ruby red color. Her hair stuck to her face and she sputtered as she pulled the strands from her mouth.

“good to know” she croaked, turning her back fully to her again and trying to rub the dirt off her shoulders. Lena slumped. She couldn’t have been more obvious than she was just now and still Kara wouldn’t bite. She wasn’t sure what else she should do. Maybe she could just chalk it up to their situation, or maybe she was barking up just a very straight tree. She sighed and dropped her hands glumly back to the water like a petulant child. at least she got a view of the perfectly sculpted back the blonde had.

_Gosh, just like a statue_ she mused.

There was a rumble above their heads and Lena looked up. the clouds above them had formed into storm clouds, a distant flash of lightening crossing the sky. It must be coming closer rather than further as the thunder and lightning came closer together. Kara tensed up in front of her, her arms coming down with a large splash. Her hands were clenched at her sides, sitting just above the surface of the water with white knuckles.

It was then she remembered their conversation on the plane. When Kara comforted her by offering her fear of her own, thunderstorms. She worried whether Kara would be okay with her coming closer right now but based on all their past experiences, she thought it was probably a yes.

Lena did her best to run forward, awkwardly splashing to the now hyperventilating blonde. She touched her shoulder, the blonde flinching at first. Didn’t look back at her.

“its okay Kara, I'm here” she assured her in a soft voice. She came closer, resting her cheek lightly on her back. The blonde slowly melted to the touch, her breathing coming in steadier as Lena carefully wrapped her arms around Kara’s waist. If Kara was unhappy with their position, she didn’t say anything to the contrary. She actually put her hands down and grabbed onto Lena’s hands.

Lena realized she was breathing in and out just like she had showed her earlier in the tunnel. Wherever she got the technique, it really worked wonders. Within two minutes Kara was breathing normal again. Yet they were still tightly wrapped up in each other. The storm was still hovering over the cave, but neither seemed to really notice it anymore. Lena shifted, moving her head to rest atop Kara’s shoulder gently.

Slowly, Lena watched with bated breath as Kara’s head drifted down and eyes met hers. Then a hand came to rest atop her hair. She ran her fingers gently through the dark tresses, Lena savoring the touch. They stayed in this position, Kara comfortable in her arms, until she lifted her hands up. Lena could see she was turning into a prune and the blonde cleared her throat. The moment was over and what Lena would give to have it back for just a minute longer, minus the panicking of course.

“thank you” Kara told her over her shoulder and looked around, gathering herself as she took a step away. The warmth from Kara was still hanging around her body, and Lena was practically buzzing from the feeling.

“I feel like you deserve an explanation. We’re close enough for that” Lena sucked in a sharp breath. Kara considers them close. The thought made Lena feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

“ive just always been afraid of storms. I never really got a handle on it till I moved in with the Danvers” Lena nodded, Kara taking a deep breath.

“Eliza and Jeremiah, my adoptive paretns, taught me to take deep breaths like that. Its worked everytime but its still scary” Lena smiled and grabbed Kara’s hand gently.

“they sound like great people” she squeezed her hand and Kara nodded.

“they are” the blonde whispered.

“so really, thank you” Kara looked her right in the eye as she said it and Lena could feel the sincerity.

“I’d do it again, every time.” Lena knew she meant what she was saying with all her being. There wasn’t even a shred of a doubt in her mind. Kara cleared her throat and looked down at the water.

“we should get cleaned up and head back. Maybe they could help us find Mon-El and James” Kara told her as she dunked her head in the water once again. The thought of Mon-El made her blood burn. Hopefully she could convince Kara of his treachery once they had talked to the Kryptonians.

The two washed in silence after that, Kara occasionally looking back at her with a blush on her cheeks. Every time she did this, Lena smiled at her brightly, hoping to show her just how much she wanted this to be something.

When they were finished, it was another awkward dance to get out thanks to Kara. she, being chivalrous as always, didn’t want to look at any of Lena’s _special_ bits as she got out of the water. Lena rolled her eyes as she pulled herself out, spotting a towel that hadn’t been there before beside her clothes. One of the Kryptonians must have brought it while they weren’t looking.

She took the towel happily and dried off, quickly getting dressed. there was splashing behind her and out of the corner of her eye she could see Kara grab her pile of clothes. Lena stayed looking forward as she dried her hair with the towel. She could hear Kara’s belt buckle snap closed, the sound of her pants zipper following. There was more rustling of clothes then Kara put a hand on her lower back.

“ready to go?” she asked tenderly, her hand still low on her back. She grinned at her and nodded, letting the towel rest on her shoulder. Kara did something similar, throwing the towel around her neck. They started walking and only then did Kara’s hand fall from her back. She tried not to read into it too much but surely that had to have meant something right?

Back at the farm, a guard came and flicked his head to the small farmhouse beside them. Kara took the lead, walking to the door and looking to her for confirmation. Lena nodded and the door opened, revealing Jor-El speaking to what seemed to be two of the farmers. They were speaking in hushed tones till one of them noticed them standing there, tapping Jor-El’s shoulder.

He turned and smiled, saying something to the farmers who then walked out. They squeezed past them with a curious look then out the door, leaving just the three of them. Jor-El sat at a chair at the small table, pointing to the chairs opposite them. he leaned over and poked the wood in the fireplace, the fire there coming to life as he set the poker down.

“please. Tell me what has brought you to us” he crossed a leg over the other and leaned back in his chair casually. Kara adjusted her position in her chair, putting her hands on the table and leaning forward.

“me and my group are archaeologists. I hired Lena to film a documentary. We were kidnapped by a man named Lex. Four of our friends are in another part of the cave hiding out, while two are being held captive” Kara told the story in a rushed tone, Jor -El nodding along in understanding.

_Really only one is captive_ Lena said angrily in her mind.

“your friends, the ones hiding. We can bring them with us, protect them. can you contact them?” Kara frowned. Lena remembered the smashed walkie talkie and frowned too.

“we don’t have a way to. I'm worried about them and I'm sure they are about us” Lena answered this time, Kara looking at her gratefully. He nodded.

“if you could point us in the right direction, I could send my people to find them” he elaborated, hand on his chin. Lena took her bag off and rifled around for the map, taking it out to show him. she had marked where the camp was with an X, to ensure they didn’t lose it. she pointed to the spot and he hummed.

“yes, we know of this place. Finding them will be easy” he smiled, and Lena felt immediately at ease.

“and your other friends? The captured ones. Do you have any ideas about them?” he asked, looking at the map. Lena pointed at their main camp, where they had learned Lex was keeping James at least. Who knew where Mon-El was, wherever Eve was probably? Jor-Els brow furrowed when he saw the location she pointed to.

“this area would be more difficult to get to. We do have a way, but I have forbidden my people from going there until this issue has been resolved” his face was stern as he looked at the map. Kara’s shoulders sagged.

“so we’re on our own there?” she asked, her voice solemn. He shook his head.

“not entirely. If that is where you wish to go, we can aid you, but you would have to sneak in and sending my army would not aid in sneaking” he chuckled and Kara nodded.

“we have a whole network of tunnels we use, like the one you fell into” Kara smiled sheepishly at the memory. It was not a graceful fall to say the least.

“one of them, the exit is right here” he pointed to a spot next to the camp and Kara perked up.

“you can go there and use it to get out. So long as you aren’t seen”

“thank you so much” Lena reached for the map and folded it back up, placing it back in the bag as Jor-El moved away to the door.

“if you would excuse me for a moment, I just need to speak with my guard and ill be back” he smiled politely at them and walked out with a wave. Lena hadn’t forgotten one of their most pressing issues; the fact Mon-El is a traitor and Kara won’t believe her.

“Kara, before we go running off, you really have to listen to me” Lena grabbed onto the blonde’s arm, Kara looking back at her concerned.

“when we get there, we will only be going for James.” The archaeologist’s face fell, shaking her head vehemently.

“no. Mon-El is in trouble too. I'm not leaving him” Kara pulled her arm away and crossed her arms.

“but Kara-“ Kara aggressively shook her head, eyes closed and shut off to the very possibility that what she was saying could be true.

“Let’s talk about something else, please” Kara’s voice was cracking, and Lena knew it was best to drop it as much as she didn’t want to. Kara took a steadying breath and looked forward. Lena knew this wasn’t the end of it, but would have to concede for now.

“Do you think we’re near the city?” Kara put a hand to her chin and contemplated the idea.

“Possibly. The only thing I can guarantee is we are very close. They seem to be guarding this area heavily. More so then the part of the cave we were in before”

Jor-El walked back in and Karas face brightened up all of a sudden. she looked to Lena with a smile and pulled away to go up to Jor-El. The man looked at her with a warry eye as she spoke.

“I was wondering Sir. Have you ever met two archaeologists by the name of Alura and Zor-El?” she got her answer as his eyes widened with alarm.

“how did you know the Zor-El’s?” he asked, his face suspicious. Kara smiled wider and Lena felt her own hope soaring knowing this man knew the parents Kara had lost years ago.

“they were my parents. Can you tell me what happened to them?” Kara came in closer to his space, the man nodding at her and then turned his head to look at the fireplace.

“they were last here many years ago now. Though I do not know what became of them once they left.” Kara’s shoulders slumped with the answer. That wasn’t what they had been hoping to hear one bit. The man looked at her with pity and put a hand on her shoulder.

“they were spectacular scholars. Rivals to many of my very best. I'm sorry to hear they are not with us any longer” Kara took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes. Lena wanted to run over and pull her into a hug but wasn’t sure if Kara would want it right now. Lena knew sometimes that just made her cry more.

“thank you for saying that. I'm sure they would be happy to know you thought that of them” Jor-El nodded and smiled fondly.

“of course. The circumstances in which I met them were not ideal, but we became fast friends int the time they were here” Kara looked confused and he elaborated.

“they were working for the Kasnian government originally. They wanted to know the secret, as many explorers do.” Kara nodded but looked conflicted at this information. H

“when I met them, they explained they only agreed so they could get the resources to find the city. Once we got to know each other, the promised to keep it all a secret”

“then they left after we let them study here for a few months and that was that” Jor-El shrugged as he turned down the tunnel they were in. there was a light at the end, signaling they were almost through.

“so, you don’t know where they are now? Or if they…” Kara trailed off as they came to the end of the tunnel. Jor-el stopped at the exit, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“if your parents haven’t told you, they wouldn’t tell me either. After all, if they weren’t speaking of their research, it was of their amazing daughter” he patted her shoulder and turned around to the door again, leaving Kara to think of what he just said. He snapped and turned his head with a small smile.

“you know, someone in your family must have been Kryptonian. The house of El is the oldest of our houses” he pointed to the crest on his chest, the ornate S adorning his breast.

“and it is the one I belong to as well. It seems that krypton is always able to draw its blood back in” Kara’s mouth was hanging open though she didn’t seem as shocked as Lena was right now. Jor-El was grinning as he opened the door.

“You both seem tired. You can stay here at the farm for the night, my men will show you where to go. And in the morning, we can talk more”

Jor-El walked out and two of his guards walked in, Lena was surprised to see them giving them polite smiles as they gestured for them to follow. The two of them got up, Lena happy at the thought of being able to go to sleep peacefully without having to keep one eye open.

They were led to the small shed like building, where a hasty living area had been made. There was a small fireplace, some straw mats on the floor beside it. there was a small basket on the ground, Lena’s eyes widening at the sight of the fresh food inside. their escort left, leaving them to get ready for bed.

Kara dove practically headfirst for the food, mouthwatering as she took the baskets contents out. She unclipped her utilitly belt and grabbed the first thing in sight.

“god I love Kryptonian hospitality” she moaned, taking a piece of dried meat from the collection of goods. Lena laughed and sat beside her, taking out the bread wrapped in cloth and dropping her bag to the ground with a thud.

“you can say that again. Only so long you can live off of MREs” Lena sighed as she took a bite of the bread. It felt oddly luxurious to be eating homemade bread. Who knew something so little would make her feel so good right now.

“why don’t you get settled, I’ll set up this fire so we can heat some of this up” Kara’s mouth was full, but her words were oddly clear. Lena wondered how long it had taken her to perfect the technique. She watched the blonde’s back move as she went about starting the fire. Her mind briefly flashed back to their time, back at the pond. She hadn’t expected the kind of vulnerable moment with Kara like that one. just another unexpected experience with the archaeologist.

After what Kara told her, about them being close, dozens of questions came to her mind to broach with her. there wouldn’t be time for all of them yet, so she kept it inside. Her mind was quickly drifting to the sights she was granted back at the pond and she was thankful when Kara finished the fire and turned to her. her mind would hopefully be full of whatever Kara wanted to talk about, rather than the mental image of her front pressed to Kara’s back as the blonde gathered herself.

“feels good to just sit down” Kara groaned as she stretched her legs out on the wood floor. Lena nodded, mimicking her position.

“I know, feels like we’ve been running for ages” Lena was still in shock over that fact they had been here for less than a week. Everything had been moving so fast, it was hard to imagine their lives before. Being on the run felt oddly normal, and how Lena longed for that to not be the case.

“right? It’s been like, an eternity since I came to your office”

Lena looked up from her bread, watching as Kara dropped a piece of meat into the small pan they had been given. She poked it with her finger then sat back down, looking at her with a kind smile. That was when Lena felt a new question. She hadn’t thought too much into it, an archaeologist she had never heard of hiring her, once one of the top documentarians, to make a movie. Knowing what she knows of Kara now, it seemed odd.

She didn’t seem like the type to do things for the sole purpose of fame or glory. She was just generally curious and wanted to find new things out in the world. She was so unlike many of the people she had worked on documentaries with. That's what made her hiring odd.

“you know, I’ve been wondering. Why did you hire me?” Kara’s head shot up; her face unreadable as she just stared at her. after a few seconds, she took a deep breath and leaned back.

“it’s a long story honestly”

Lena smiled and set her back against the wall. She shrugged and grabbed another piece of bread.

“good thing we’ve got all night” Kara watched her with the tiniest smile she had ever seen on her face. usually Kara was all teeth, cheek hurting type of smile so it was weird to see it she realized. She nodded then cleared her throat.

“well, as you know, I and the others work for National City University” Lena nodded, Kara taking that as encouragement to continue.

“and I'm sure you know, it’s not a very large or famous place. I'm pretty sure their claim to fame has been their funny mascot”

“the slugs? I'm aware” Lena laughed, remembering the first time she heard that _that_ of all things was their mascot.

“mhmm, and attendance has been down. I mean way down. to solve this, they’ve had to let go of plenty of professors” Kara played with some grapes in her hand as she continued.

“the next group on the chopping block is the archaeology team” Kara sighed, tossing a grape in her mouth. Lena’s mouth dropped open. how dare they even think of firing Kara? The nerve!

“they wouldn’t fire you! You’re a great archaeologist, and I'm sure just as amazing a teacher”

“thank you but actually, my job was safe. They even were giving me a slight raise and extra money for my own projects” Lena raised an eyebrow

“then what was the problem?”

“everyone else would have lost their job” she whispered; Lena taken aback at the confession. She wondered if the others had any clue about any of that.

“I thought if I could attract interest in what we do, specifically the others, I could assure we could all find work together after they shut the department down. Or maybe even generate interest in the program, attract new students, you know?” Kara looked rueful as she stared at her grapes.

“so, the film was all just to get attention for the rest of your team?” Lena thought of Sam, and of Nia and Brainy. She would happily let Mon-El lose his job, but the others deserved far better.

“pretty much. Obviously, that's all gone up in smoke. But I think keeping my job is the last thing on my mind right now” Kara chuckled.

“can’t blame you. I almost forgot about the whole documentary thing myself”

“seems so far away” Lena lamented. She sniffed; the downright tantalizing smell of a well-done steak pulled at her nose. Kara must have noticed as well as she turned to the fire with the widest grin Lena had ever seen. Kara set it down on the small wooden plate left for them.

They dug in, not caring that they were using their hands to eat as they pulled pieces off. Kara’s cheeks puffed up as she happily chewed on her food, some of the grease on the corner of her mouth. When their plate was clean, and for the first time in days Lena was full, they sat satisfied on their small mats.

Lena watched the blonde beside her. she looked content with a full belly and delicious food. She watched as Kara yawned, stretching her hands above her head.

“I think its time to hit the hay” she smirked, pointing down at the straw. A smirk snuck up to her lips and spread across her face.

“get it? because its-“Lena shook her head with a grin and put a hand up.

“yes, I get it. if you’re making dad jokes like that, then it is _definitely_ time to hit the hay” Lena laughed as she laid down, using her backpack as a pillow. It wasn’t ideal but it was enough. She watched as Kara settled in, putting her hands up to rest behind her head. The blonde smiled at the ceiling before turning to her.

One of the blonde’s hands came to place a feather light touch on her hand, gently wrapping her fingers around Lena’s own. Lena looked into her eyes as Kara’s face softened.

“goodnight Lena” she whispered. Without Lena’s permission, the hand disappeared far too quickly. The woman curled up in a fetal like position, the way she had slept most nights since they been stuck in this cave together. Just another random thing Lena’s overly perceptive brain had noticed.

Lena watched her back as her breathing went into a sleeping cadence. She resisted the urge from the back of her mind that told her to scoot closer, maybe even to sneak into Kara’s arms. She knew better though. She would have to settle for the distant longing she was far too used to,

“goodnight Kara” she whispered to the quiet room, falling asleep to the sight of Kara’s back and her golden hair.

Morning came far too quickly for Lena’s liking. Though the Kryptonians must have taken pity on them. they were awoken much later then they had woken up the past few days, at a modest 8 according to Lena’s watch.

When her eyes cracked open, Soft footsteps walked by and a pair of hands left another full basket of food beside her before leaving once again. To her side, she was startled to see Kara had snuck closer in her sleep, a hand loosely in hers as she had drifted to the edge of her mat. Her mouth was open just slightly, drool accumulating on the hand under her head. Lena smiled and simply watched for a moment. She didn’t want to disrupt her peacefulness, but they had to get back out at some point, not to mention she was sure Kara wanted breakfast.

Lena put a hand out and gently shook the blonde, who groaned and held her hand tighter.

“Kara, come on, we’ve gotta go” that seemed to have helped as the other woman’s eyes slowly worked on opening. She squeezed them tighter before her eye lids lifted, revealing tired looking blue eyes. The confusion on her face was soon replaced by a soft smile.

“sometimes I forget how much I hate mornings” she mumbled. She noticed the woman’s eyes drift down to their intertwined hands and she cleared her throat before gently prying away. She sat up, stretching her arms above her head as she turned her head from side to side. Lena cringed at the soft cracking from the blonde’s neck.

After a quick breakfast and another clean plate, Kara patted her stomach and sighed.

“I assume we should talk to Jor-El before we go anywhere” Kara commented as she stood from her spot on the floor. She grabbed the utility belt and wrapped it around her waist before putting their trusty backpack on her back. She turned to look at Lena and pointed behind her shoulder at the door.

“come on. my turn to hold the bag” she smirked and walked away, Lena quickly hopping up to follow.

Outside their shelter, things were already moving. a group of farmers were talking to Jor-El’s guards hurriedly, Jor-El off to the side sitting on a chair. He caught their eye and waved them down with a smile. When they both got to him, he stood up and pointed to a tall woman to their right. She was taller than most everyone around her, her broad shoulders pulled tightly back, like a soldier at attention. A menacing scar ran over her eye and her steely blues met their gaze.

“that is my general, Astra In-Ze. She will show you where the tunnel that you will take is” he ushered them towards the imposing looking woman but Kara dug her feet into the ground.

“first though, have you heard from our friends yet? The ones hiding out?” ever the compassionate leader, of course Kara would worry about them first and foremost. Lena held her breath as she waited for the answer. He nodded but his face was tight.

“yes. My scouts tell me they were very lucky. They were in the process of being captured when my men arrived. They are on their way here, should be only but a few minutes.” both Lena and Kara let out a sigh in relief. One burden taken off their shoulders, at least temporarily.

“so Lex’s men found them?” Jor-El hummed and his face shifted into pure disgust.

“those outsiders. They come here, destroy our land, hurt my people, and expect for us to kiss their boots as they pass” Jor-El sneered, shaking his head.

“they’ve hurt your people?” Lena queried. The man’s face fell as she mentioned this.

“yes. Many Kryptonians lived outside the walls. They were their first victims. Its why this place is so heavily guarded” he gestured broadly to the men with him. Lena hadn’t seen any weapons since the spears pointed and them and she wondered how it was they were planning on protecting people without them out.

“all because they don’t like that we have denied them entrance to the city. Couldn’t stand not getting their way” he shook his head with a tight frown. Lena felt that wasn’t all the of the story, just based off his tone and the look in his eyes but she wouldn’t question it too much.

“I refuse to allow unrespectful outsiders into the city. On principle.” He crossed his arms and stomped a foot in the dirt.

“they arrive at the gates with guns and armored vehicles and expect we want them inside? Please.” He flicked his hand down, his foot crunching up more dirt at the same time.

“we will drive them out, as we always have” he sounded determined and from the history of this place that Lena knew, she knew he had reason to believe that. though a part of her mind wondered how he would handle the fact that the other side had guns.

They were quickly interrupted by loud talking coming from the tunnel they used yesterday, all three of them turning to see what all the fuss was. Lena smiled when she saw Alex rushing through the Kryptonian guards, her eyes burning like molten lava as she ran out.

“where is my sister and Lena?” she demanded. Lena heard Kara gulp beside her. the tone was not a very friendly one, even Lena could tell that. She knew when Alex spotted them because her eyes narrowed dangerously. Alex stomped over, Kara taking a step back to hide behind her just a bit. Lena looked helplessly at Alex as she came closer.

“Kara Zor-El Danvers! Don’t you dare hide from me!” she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at her sister. Kara laughed awkwardly behind her back, hands going to rest atop Lena’s shoulders as she ducked to hide her face.

“now Alex, whatever I did I swear, it was Lex’s fault” Alex walked around Lena and grabbed her sisters shoulders. Kara looked white as a sheet as Alex stared her down. Lena was sure Kara was in for a dressing down or something but what came next surprised her.

Instead of yelling or hitting her, Alex pulled Kara into a tight hug. Her face softened ever so slightly as she held onto her sister.

“the Kryptonians told me everything, you insane buffoon. Why are you so reckless sometimes?” Alex seemed to be stuck between wanting to reprimand her and wanting to cry from seeing her in the flesh. When she pulled away, she pointed a finger at her again. The older sister turned her mouth into a tight scowl, her eyes reading ‘I'm warning you!’ before she let go and turned on Lena.

“I'm glad you’re okay too Luthor” the woman’s voice was a million times softer this time, a kind smile pulled at her lips.

“good to see you too Alex” Kara mumbled, rubbing the back of her head. Finally, they were joined by Nia, Sam and Brainy. The three of them looked far better than Lena had been expecting. Brainy was sporting a large bruise on his face which hadn’t been there the last time but Nia and Sam looked like they had improved since then. Nia was walking with just a slight limp on her own and Sam’s eyes seemed less foggy as she walked over with Nia’s help.

“so gangs all here. mostly.” Kara smiled, gesturing at their little group.

“yes, but the people that brought us told us of your plan. To break Mon-El and James out” Brainy spoke up, his voice sounding uncertain. Nia and Sam both nodded, looking at Kara with worried eyes. The blonde looked from person to person with a unreadable expression.

“I know its not ideal, but we have to try something” Kara told them, her voice unwavering with her resolute eyes.

“and if you get caught? Then what?” Alex asked, her arms crossed in front of her chest.

“we won’t. No theatrics or anything. Just sneak in, get Mon-El and James, sneak out” Kara shrugged like the whole thing was just a trip to the grocery store.

“that sounds far too simple and easy if you ask me” Alex scoffed. Lena knew she wasn’t wrong, but they had few options in this. This plan was their best one, even if it was really only twelve percent of a plan.

“well it’s our best shot. So either we do it, or leave the two of them to whatever fate Lex has in store for them” Kara was on the defense as Alex chewed on her plan.

“and we can’t afford the latter. So it has to happen, whether we like it or not” Alex seemed to think that over. she must have come to her own conclusion as she sighed and rubbed her temple.

“fine. But you stay out of trouble. I mean it” before the debate could go on any longer, the woman Jor-El pointed out as Astra approached.

‘

“are you two ready to leave?” she asked in a heavy accent. Kara and Lena both looked to each other before nodding.

“follow me” the woman walked off, Kara following closely behind. Lena went as well but was stopped by a hand on her wrist.

“please keep each other safe” Alex pleaded. It was then that Lena noticed just how tired the sister was. her eyes were red, bags under her eyes as she looked deep into her own green ones.

“I will. Don’t worry” after the display Kara put on yesterday with the turret and car chase, Lena wasn’t so sure of her capabilities when it came to protection. She wasn’t physically as strong as Kara, nor did she have any kind of knowledge of weapons and combat. She felt powerless in the areas she was needed, but two heads were far better than one in this environment. She would provide any help Kara needed, even if it was just the comfort of company.

She began to go after Kara but realized something. Lena ran over and opened up the backpack, a confused Kara watching from over her shoulder. She pulled out the heavy golden medallion and ran back to Alex.

“here. just in case. Lex and his people are going crazy looking for it and I’ll be damned if they ever get it” Alex nodded and put the necklace around her neck, waving as Lena went back to Kara and Astra. 

Astra stopped and pointed to a small structure on the ground with a wooden panel covering the top, a small worn handle on the door. She pulled the handle and her and Kara both looked down. there was a ladder leading down into a tunnel, the soft light of torches visible from outside.

“follow the torches and they will take you to just outside their camp” She went into the satchel she was wearing and pulled out a flare and a pair of combat knives. Lena raised an eyebrow as she took it from Astra, the woman shrugging it off.

“gifts from the invaders. If you get into any trouble, use that and we will come.” Lena looked down at the objects in her hands, looking up to Astra as she handed a knife off to Kara. She put the flare in her back pocket and listened to Astra’s instructions.

“and if you aren’t back by tomorrow, we will come regardless” the promise was reassuring for Lena but she truly hoped nothing like that came to be.

“what about our friends?” Kara asked, looking back to where Alex was still standing watching them.

“we will take care of them here until you return. A healer is on the way as well. Your friends seem like they need it” Kara nodded, putting her hands on her hips.

“thank you. Really.” Kara’s words dripped with gratitude and Lena felt the same way. They didn’t have to be so kind to them. yet they were and they would most likely be forever grateful for that.

“helping others is how we Kryptonians are.” Astra told them proudly.

“you two should get going. It takes a few hours to get to the camp from here.” she patted Kara’s shoulder then Lena’s and took a step back. Lena looked down into the tunnel, Kara tapping her shoulder and climbing up the small brick wall.

“I’ll go first, then I’ll help you down” Kara smiled and grabbed on to the ladder, descending down into the low lit tunnel. Lena sighed and followed suite, climbing up and onto the ladder as well.

“don’t worry, I’ll catch you if you fall” Kara yelled from below her. it wasn’t nearly as reassuring as she had most likely thought it would be.

Lena climbed down without incident to her relief, Kara already looking around their surroundings. The tunnel forked but only one path was lit up. The blonde pointed to it.

“safe to say she meant that way” Lena nodded and began to walk down the path.

“Kara and Lena to the rescue” Kara smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: kara and lena arrive and things get heavy


	10. The Rescue Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the plan goes sideways (warning: graphic depictions of violence and blood and death in this chapter)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and we're back! sorry i didnt update sooner. im American and the election just kept me from being able to focus on basically anything else and function like a normal, not anxious person. now the winner is declared and i feel much better so here's a new chapter! now please be warned, its a pretty violent and bloody chapter. it will also hint at what the supernatural-ish element to the story is. the next chapter should take a little longer as unlike this one, it isnt written yet. im gonna try and get on it soon, so we'll see how that goes. hope you all like how this one goes! next chapter should have a lot of action and should also be pretty long. let me know if theres any mistakes, i edited all myself so im sure theres a few in there. let me know what you think! till next time!

After hours of walking and many breaks later, Lena and Kara finally came to their exit. It was another tunnel, and another ladder leading up to a little wooden door just like before. Kara huffed as she climbed up and pushed the lid of the tunnel’s cover up. She peaked around and then looked back down to her.

“all clear. Let’s go” Lena grabbed onto the ladder and followed her companion out into the larger cave system. It was already getting dark out, crickets playing their songs as they stepped out. Kara was already on the ground and offering Lena a hand as she climbed off the ladder.

To their right, Lena could just see a manmade structure between the trees. The sound of people could be heard in complete clarity, signaling that they were extremely close to the camp. Kara grabbed her hand and pointed to what Lena could make out to be a wall.

“let’s make a loop around, see if we can’t find a way to slip in”

The two of them walked towards the camp, the sounds of life getting louder and louder. Once they were finally at the walls of the camp, they began to carefully walk the perimeter as quietly as they possibly could. Lena looked up at the towering walls built from logs, to her they made whatever and whoever was inside all the more imposing.

They walked and walked for over 10 minutes, not once seeing a useable opening for them. it was becoming disheartening as the sun dipped lower and lower. Lena was feeling the uncertainty wash over her. were they not going to be able to save James this way? So deep in thought she was, she wasn’t paying attention as she bumped into Kara’s back, the blonde’s hand out in front of her. it was then that Lena noticed rustling ahead of them.

“be ready” she whispered as she took out the knife Astra had given them earlier. Lena reached for her own knife, her fingers clenching tightly around the handle as the foliage in front of them shifted. A hand pulled back one of the leaves, Kara putting her hands up in front of her in a defensive stance. Lena too tensed up, watching whoever was in front of them. The person stepped up, revealing a far too happy looking Mon-El. Kara laughed and put the knife away, walking over to her ‘friend’. Not Lena though.

Lena scowled, her knife not leaving her hands as she watched the two of them with disdain. Kara clapped Mon-El on the back, the man giving a weak smile as she did so. He looked to Lena and waved, Lena shaking her head in disapproval. Just the sight of him near Kara made her blood boil in her veins.

“we’ve been so worried about you and James. Glad to see you’re okay man” Kara smiled as she talked to him. Lena took the opportunity to look him up and down. he looked just as he did when she saw him yesterday. His clothes were clean, he was devoid of any injuries, and he certainly didn’t scream ‘prisoner of war’ to her.

“glad isn’t the word I would use” Lena grumbled as she went to stand beside Kara defensively. Mon-El narrowed his eyes at Lena briefly as Kara was distracted by her happiness at seeing him alive. Lena wouldn’t back down, raising her head defiantly as they stared each other down.

“I know, more than glad really” Kara supplied happily.

“anyway, you’ve got to help us get James back so we can leave. Which way did you get out from?” Kara questioned him, looking around at the walls ahead of them for an opening. Lena grinned as she saw Mon-El looked panicked.

“yeah Mon-El, how did you get out?” she prodded, getting in close to the man she now despised alongside Lex. He forced himself to smile and opened and closed his mouth hopelessly searching for a lie to give them.

“don’t tell me you just walked out the front door? That would be impossible” Lena hinted; arms crossed as she invaded his space. He backed away and chuckled, hand going to run through his hair from the back of his head to the front. Lena could see Kara stiffen from the corner of her eye, the blonde’s face faltering for a moment before picking back up into her trademark smile.

“come on Lena, I'm sure he’s tired. Just give him a break” Kara rubbed her shoulders and Mon-El sighed, pointing behind him.

“there's a little opening that way, I was able to squeeze through after getting out of their makeshift prison”

“you’ll have to tell us how you got out of that too when we have time. It must have been tough getting out of there” Lena frowned at him. she wanted him to know she didn’t trust him one bit. He smiled again and waved the thought off, turning his back to them.

“later. Right now, we have to get James back” Mon-El walked on, Kara pulling her along to follow.

“Kara, I'm telling you we can’t trust him” Lena whispered into the blonde’s ear. The other woman tensed up with a deep frown, shaking her head.

“Mon-El just wouldn’t do that. Just drop it Lena” Kara told her harshly. The tone made Lena pull back, her face flashing with hurt at her words. It quickly turned to anger as they followed behind the liar that was Mon-El, who was carefully looking at each section of wall for the opening he spoke of.

“he’s hiding something! How can you not tell?” Lena grabbed Kara’s arm, but she pulled it away.

“why wont you just drop it!” she barked, Lena shocked at her outburst. She felt her own anger rising as she turned on Kara.

“I'm just trying to protect you. Don’t get that way with me” Kara’s frown deepened, her teeth clenching as she turned on Lena with a hint of spite in her eyes.

“well if you had wanted to protect me, maybe you should have kept your brother form going insane!” Kara whispered at her, but it came perfectly loud and clear. The words went straight to her core and ripped her feelings apart. For her credit, Kara looked immediately regretful as the words came out of her mouth. Her eyes widened as if she was surprised at herself and she tried to grab onto Lena’s hand, but she pulled it away.

“well thank you for telling me how you really feel Kara.” Lena took a step away but the gap between her and the blonde felt miles wide. Kara looked stricken as she searched for an apology.

“look Lena, I'm- “

“no. I don’t think I wanna hear whatever it is you want to say. When this is all over, we go our separate ways” Lena walked without looking to her companion, her eyes stinging with tears as the blonde’s words played over and over again in her mind. She didn’t want that to be the case, not really, but emotions are running high and right now she just can’t calm them down.

“Lena please, I'm sorry. It’s just Mon-El is like family” Kara pleaded but Lena wouldn’t hear it. Lena knew Monel had the benefit of time with Kara, but she thought after everything they’d been through so far and what they confided to each other would give her some credibility.

“lets just drop it, like you’ve been trying to do since I first told you” Lena snarled as best as she could in a low voice. If they didn’t have to be quiet right now, she would probably be ripping Kara apart. She could see the blonde’s shoulders sag as she told her this. It hurt to hurt Kara’s feelings like that but right now she was too betrayed to care. She knew Kara more than likely let her emotions get the better of her in the moment too, but she was too hurt to bother with that right now as well.

“hey guys, over here” Mon-El called for them, pointing to a loose log along the wall. He pulled it up, revealing a well-hidden path on the other side within the camp. Lena marched to it, Kara sadly walking beside her.

“once we get in, just follow me to James” Mon-El crawled through first, followed by Kara and finally Lena herself. Kara tried to reach a handout to help her but she ignored it. The camp looked similar to the others they had seen. Largely tents, all differing in size. Although this one had a few sad looking buildings as well. The camp was mostly shrouded in darkness except for the main walkway. It had bright, scrutinizing lights all pointed to the road and casting harsh shadows on everything below.

What struck her as odd was the lack of anyone on patrol. There was no one outside any of the tents and buildings. If it weren’t for the sound of voices and music, Lena would be sure there was no one here. which struck her as odd. This was after all, their main camp. Mon-El stepped in front of her line of sight and pointed to the end of the road, where it turned to the left and kept the area largely out of sight past that point.

“he’s being kept over there. We can get him if we hurry” he started walking and the two women followed, Lena looking suspiciously at all the tents and building around them. Lena wanted her skeptical ideas to be known.

“how is it you two weren’t kept together?” she questioned the man leading them through the camp. he stopped abruptly and turned to look at her.

“huh? Oh well, I don’t know. They just didn’t put us together for some reason” he looked to the side and avoided her eyes at all costs. He then went back to walking, not looking back at Lena.

“real convenient” she rolled her eyes, seeing Mon-El throw her a dirty look over her shoulder but said nothing. The deeper they went into the camp, the more she felt nervous. So, though she was unimaginably mad at her, Lena drifted to Kara.

She could already feel some of the hot anger drifting away towards rational thought. She already regrated saying they should go their separate ways when this was over. she knew she wanted Kara in her life well past all this, and that statement most definitely did not reflect that. but Kara still hurt her feelings, and that hurt was still glaringly present.

“Lena, I just want to say-“Lena waved her off. they could try and sort out their disagreements and anger _after_ they get out of the hornets’ nest.

“I'm not talking about that with you right now. Focus on saving James and getting out of here” she leaned in closer, covering her mouth to help keep Mon-El from hearing them.

“but don’t you think it’s odd no one’s out? No guards or anything?” Lena whispered, pointing to the lack of mercenaries. Kara nodded but shrugged, causing Lena to sigh.

“yeah but it could be for any number of reasons” Mon-El turned a corner, the two of them going to catch up.

“but come on, it’s their biggest camp. No way they would let it go so…unattended like this” Lena was pushing for Kara to have some doubt in her mind but it just wasn’t working.

“I'm not going to question it. let’s just follow Mon-El and go” Kara nodded, going faster to walk beside Mon-El. Lena shook her head and hoped the traitor wasn’t leading them straight into their deaths. As they continued walking, Lena heard a distant buzzing type of sound, the mechanical hint to it confirming to her it wasn’t just a bug. She looked to the left, then to the right, and there was nothing out of the ordinary till she looked up.

A drone was hovering above their heads, with a camera pointed directly at them. A red blinking light flashed, like a smug greeting just for her. her mouth dropped open, eyes not leaving the drone as she yelled for the blonde.

“Kara, they know we’re here!” she cried and turned her head, but Kara and the traitor had already turned another corner and disappeared from sight. She ran frantically to catch up and was just in time to see Mon-El turn with a gleeful look on his face. he pulled a knife from his pocket and charged Kara, sinking the knife into her shoulder with a sickeningly loud tearing sound.

“Kara!” she yelled as she ran to help. She watched as Kara attempted to pull the knife out but Mon-El wouldn’t have it. with his hand still holding the handle, he put a foot behind the blonde’s and pulled back, Kara crashing down onto her back with a cry of pain.

“stay back Lena!” she ordered with clenched teeth.

“I hope you know Kara; I'm really enjoying this!” he sneered with a disgusting smile. Mon-El went to press down on the knife but Kara kicked him off with her legs.

“but hey, really, it’s just business. Or, well, mostly business” he told her as he recovered. The two struggled on the ground, Kara not looking back as she yelled at her.

“Lena! run!” she screamed, taking a knee to the gut from Mon-El. She cringed and fell to the side, Mon-El pouncing on her. Suddenly, the whole camp came alive. A siren began to sound, and mercenaries began to come out from their hiding places. They seemed assured of their victory, simply watching them with guns drawn.

“not without you!” she ran forward, pulling the gun she hadn’t used once. The whole camp knew they were here, might as well use it now. She raised her hand, the gun gripped tightly but her hands shook. She should have known saying and actually doing this kind of thing would be difficult. The chances of them getting caught were practically inescapable now but she could at least keep Mon-El from hurting her any longer, right?

As she tried to squeeze the trigger, her body froze, and it felt like she was watching someone else’s life play out in front of her. she felt trapped in her own mind as she tried to force herself to pull the trigger. As she felt a panic attack come on at the perfectly wrong time, she just couldn’t shoot. everything was screaming at her to do it, but her mind wouldn’t let her.

Kara landed a solid punch on Mon-El’s cheek, sending him to the ground. The blonde looked behind her, where the mercenaries were gathering menacingly. She shook her head and turned to Lena. she recoiled at all the blood on Kara, from her face down to her shoulder, disgusting crimson dripping down her arm and fingers where it was congealing on the dirt floor. She spit, a bright red spot shooting to the ground before her.

“shoot the flare and go” she huffed as Mon-El tackled her from behind. Lena watched helplessly with the gun in her hand, the shaking moving from her hands to her whole body. She took one hand off the pistol and rummaged around in her pocket, pulling at the flare Astra had given them. she was so frantic that she fumbled with it, dropping it in the dirt with a thud. She fell to her knees, grabbing the flare with both hands reverently.

She gathered her bearings and raised her hands in the air. The flare shot off, the red light going high up above them and slowly tampering off as it fell down.

  
“now go! go!” Kara cried from the ground as Mon-El held her in a head lock. She could see blood dripping down from a gash on her forehead and she wanted to throw up. Lena shook her head, her words lost in the haze of her panic.

_What do I do! What do I do!_ She cried in her mind, frozen in place on her knees in the dirt. She felt like a little girl again, watching her mother disappear beneath the surface of the water, arms flailing as she searched for help in vain.

Then she remembered all of Kara’s words the past few days. Her kindness, her belief in Lena, her hope that they would make it out alive. She wanted all of it to be true, then for them to leave together and have something when this was done. They couldn’t do that if Lena didn’t act now.

_No. this time will be different_ she assured herself. She put her hand up again and stood, her gun arm surer than before. She leveled with Mon-El, gun pointed squarely at his head as the guards were now closing in on them. her finger began to squeeze when cool metal pressed against the back of her head.

“now sister, let’s not be too hasty” Lex’s cold voice crawled up her spine and dug into her heart. she turned her head ever so slightly and came face to face with her brother holding a gun to her head. The sight of him, wearing a crisp, expensive tailored suit, shining cufflinks and all, contrasted heavily with the dirty, bloodstained gun in her face.

“be a good younger sister and listen to your big brother. Put. The. Gun. Down.” he told her with a smirk in that narcissistic tone of his. She frowned.

“and if I don’t? you wouldn’t kill me” she narrowed her eyes at the man who she once looked up to. He smiled and with his free hand pointed ahead.

“you’re right. But there is someone I would kill” she followed his hand and watched in horror as one of his mercenaries kicked Kara’s legs out. She fell to the floor and the woman grabbed her head. She looked helpless as she pointed his rifle at her skull. All fight left Lena in that moment as Kara shook her head as best, she could.

“don’t” the blonde groaned, the woman pulling back harder and Kara squeezing her eyes shut.

“now. Give me your gun” he ordered her. Lena had no choice but to drop it on the floor. She wouldn’t let him have the satisfaction of taking it from her. she let out a relieved breath when the mercenary let Kara go and lifted her up to her feet. She only had eyes for Kara as the two of them were led away. Though from the corner of her eye she could see a well and truly beat up Mon-El licking his wounds beside Eve. She smirked and gave the two of them the finger as she went by.

Her and Kara were taken to an empty room with two chairs in the middle. If she wasn’t mistaken, there was a faint stain of blood along the floor around the chairs. Someone ripped their backpack off Kara’s back and threw it somewhere on the other side of the door, then pushed her forward.

“sit” Lex commanded from behind them. they both obeyed and their hands were soon bound behind their backs and to the chair by Eve. Kara groaned as her arms were pulled forcefully back and tied. Lena was forced to watch the gleeful smirk on Lex’s face.

“can you at least get her some help? Your crony stabbed her in the shoulder.” Lena looked grimly at the stab wound on Kara’s shoulder. It was a painful sight, and she could only guess how it felt.

“I think I would rather watch her suffer if it’s all the same with you dear”

“please Lex? You did say you needed her, didn’t you?” she used the pleading voice that always worked on her brother when they were younger. Before, he was a sucker anytime his dear baby sister asked him something. Maybe a hint of that person was still alive, as his eyes softened just a touch before looking away.

“send for a medic, would you?” he told someone on the other side of the entry way and turned back to her. the smirk was back on his face as he watched Eve work on tying them up.

“it didn’t have to be this way Lena, you know that.” He shrugged as Eve returned to his side with a satisfied smile.

“I told you we would get them” Mon-El’s voice came out as he limped into the room. He had no doubt seen better days, having received a downright beating at Kara’s hands. His face was bloody with plenty of cuts, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he was missing a tooth.

“you did and thank your lucky stars Mrs. Danvers here is so trusting” Lex shrugged. A woman with a hard case tapped his shoulder and he moved aside to let her in. she crouched beside Kara and quickly examined the wound on her shoulder. She nodded and took out a metal rod and a blowtorch.

“woah woah, what are you doing?” Lena cried as the woman turned the torch on and pointed the flames at the rod. It began to heat up, turning a bright orange before their eyes. Without any further answers, she pressed the metal into Kara’s shoulder, the blonde screaming in agony as it met the stab wound there. Her legs kicked, slamming down hard on the floor as the ‘medic’ pressed down harder.

Lena couldn’t bear to watch and closed her eyes, but she couldn’t escape the screaming of the woman she lov…liked very much. The treatment must have soon ended as Kara’s screams tapered off into defeated moans.

“now, the two of you wait her patiently. Me and my associates will be back soon” Lex waved, and they all walked out, Eve slamming the door with a delighted smile. They could finally take stock of what the hell happened. Lena turned quickly to Kara, who was shaking her head as sweat dripped down her face.

“Kara? Kara talk to me please” she pleaded, eyes watering at the sight of the woman in front of her. though, she seemed off. did the cut on her forehead start to close? Or is she just mistaken? Lena shook the thoughts away and waited for Kara to speak.

“don’t say it” she groaned, the blonde’s head shaking. Lean raised an eyebrow.

“don’t say what?”

“don’t say it” she said again. Did Kara lose too much blood? Was she out of it? what is she talking about?

“don’t say what Kara!? Your scaring me”

“I told you so” she huffed, her head lolling between her shoulders. A drop of sweat fell off her face and onto her lap.

“why would I say that?” she asked in confusion. All the anger she had felt at the blonde just minutes ago had all melted away. She couldn’t possibly be angry with her when the prospect of losing her had just been so close. They could sort the whole misunderstanding out later, but Lena wanted nothing more right now than to hug the injured blonde.

“because of Mon-El. You told me. And I didn’t listen.” She sounded on the verge of crying and Lena wouldn’t have that.

“no no no Kara, don’t go there. You believed in him because you felt you had reason to” even though Lena knew this possibly could’ve been avoided, this is the situation they were in now. She wouldn’t ponder those what ifs. the last thing they needed would be Kara falling into a pit of self-pity.

“I could tell something was off earlier. He always does that thing with his hair when he’s lying.” Kara squeezed her eyes shut.

“I should’ve listened. We could’ve avoided this. Instead I hurt your feelings, made you cry and got us captured” a tear slipped down Kara’s dirty face and Lena’s heart broke.

“when Lex comes back just agree to what he says. Do whatever you have to save yourself. Its over” Lena snapped at that. so much was riding on them, they couldn’t afford to give up. Not only were the others all counting on them, but there was also a whole world out there that Lena wanted to see with Kara. There were few possibilities of her future that didn’t now involve Kara, be it as a friend or something more.

“no. you listen Kara. We are not giving up do you understand?! We will stop Lex and get out of here and then you’ll take me on a date damnit!” Lena wished she could cover her mouth at that moment. She hadn’t meant to spill the beans like that. she wasn’t even sure Kara liked her in that way and she just blurts that out of all things. Kara’s head shot over to her and her eyes went wide.

“you want to go on a date?” Kara croaked. Of course, of all the things she said that's what Kara picks up. Lena gulped and nodded

“yes. Yes, I do. I really care about and like you, Kara. I know we haven’t known each other long but- “

“you like me?” Kara’s voice rose up an octave, her eyes now twinkling rather than the foggy haze they were before. Lena smiled and raised an eyebrow.

“no Kara, I tell just anyone they can look when I'm naked” Kara blushed at that.

“you were flirting? This whole time?”

“I thought so, but I guess not” Lena watched as Kara’s face flushed even more.

“I'm bad at this. I wasn’t sure of where we stood so I didn’t want to push. I'm not good with signals like that.”

“I figured that out, thank you. I was certainly flirting but we can talk about it later. Now focus. We have to get out of here and find James, Lex and Mon-El can fuck themselves okay? We’re leaving” Kara nodded

“you’re right. We won’t let him get in our way. We can do this” Kara assured herself more than Lena. she nodded and Lena was sure she looked far better than earlier. Her eyes were more awake, and she didn’t sag in her seat as much.

And now Lena was really sure the blonde’s wounds were healing faster than a regular person. A cut on her hand was closing as she looked at it, the skin knitting back together in real time. that wasn’t normal, wasn’t _human._

“Kara, look at your hand!” Kara looked confused and began to look down.

“wha-“before she finished her sentence, the door burst open and James fell on the floor by their feet. He looked more like he had been a prisoner. His face was swollen and there were some cuts and scrapes, and his clothes were torn as he attempted to scramble up from the floor with bound hands. Lex was stood in the door as he watched them, looking down his nose.

“now that the gang is all here, why don’t we get down to it.” Lex rounded on Kara, grabbing her hair and pulling her head back.

“the medallion. Hand it over.” Kara smiled and shook her head slightly.

“you’ll never have it” she smirked, causing Lex to pull harder on her hair.

“I don’t enjoy these games Danvers” he warned. He pulled back on his coat to show the gun strapped to his chest. Kara didn’t budge, staring defiantly at him instead.

“that's too bad. I love them” she smirked. Lena was astounded. Even when she was in pain, she wouldn’t back down. Lex didn’t appreciate it though, as pulled his hand back and smacked her hard in the face. when Kara looked back up, she was still smiling, so he hit her again.

Lena watched painfully as he hit her every time, she smiled back at him. Lena bit her lip as he pulled his hand back over and over. finally, when she spit out blood, Lena stepped in.

“Lex stops! We don’t have it!” she yelled.

“you don’t have it?” he sneered, still glaring at Kara.

“Lena no” Kara pleaded. Lex hit her again and Lena cried out.

“no! we don’t. and you won’t find it so just give up” Lex looked oddly calm as he pulled away from Kara. He adjusted his coat and didn’t even look at Lena as he stepped away.

“you know Lena, you’re a terrible liar” he turned around and grabbed James, who had been on the floor weakly trying to get up the whole time.

“maybe you need more persuading” he pulled the gun from his jacket and pointed it at James. Lena’s mind flashed to when the three of them used to be friends, working together at LuthorCorp. Those days were long gone now as Lex pushed the barrel to James’ forehead.

“Lex no” she cried, pulling on the ropes keeping her in place. Through everything, James had been there. He was one of her few friends when everything was falling apart. Sure, they had their disagreements, but he was still her friend above all else.

“if you insist on lying, I have to” it sounded as if he was reprimanding her, like he was still the competent older brother scolding her for taking his ‘special’ magazines without permission.

“I'm not!” Lena pleaded, leaning forward in her chair

“Lex please! Check our bag! You won’t find anything!” she tried to convince him, but he wasn’t believing a word of the truth. When had her brother drifted so far like this?

“No! I guess I have to teach you a lesson sister!” he spit at her as he kicked James lazily. The word sister set her off, filling her with pure rage as he tried to use severed familial ties against her.

“I am _not_ your sister!” she spit back. She would rather have a porcupine as a brother than him. the porcupine would be much more preferable at this point.

“Oh yes you are Lena. Don’t be so dramatic” he narrowed his eyes and shook his head as if the notion was silly. Lena smirked.

“I’m adopted. So at least I can say I don’t have whatever is wrong with you” every bone in her body was glad for that right now.

“Oh Lena. How wrong you are” Lex is so distracted by what he’s saying, he isn’t paying attention to the fact James is working on undoing the knot near his hands. If Lena could just buy him time, they could escape. If Lena knew anything, it was how to get her brother to ramble.

“you’re just angry I'm not deranged like you” she does her best to not look at James and give it away.

“please. You’re just as Luthor as me! The same blood in my veins is what’s in yours!” he pointed at his chest with his free hand. Lena shook her head and frowned. He knows they aren’t actually related, he can’t be _that_ delusional.

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. You’re more confused than I thought” Lena looked to Kara who looked encouragingly back at her. Lex nodded and flared his nostrils.

“You know, you remind me of Ms. Kieran. look just like her too” Lex smirked, the same kind of look he would have on his face when she beat him at chess. Lena felt like there was just a record scratch. Her brain glitched for a moment, and her mind drifted to the warm woman from Ireland she called mom.

“You..knew my birth mother?”

“Oh yes. She was with dad more than mom ever was. his favorite assistant” Lex was all teeth as he told her this. Lena had never known her mother worked with Lionel. That connection couldn’t just be a coincidence, could it?

“And when he came home, tail between his legs, saying she was pregnant? mom lost it” Lena brain felt like it was being overloaded as Lex looked victoriously at her. was what he was saying true? Her mother always claimed she didn’t know her father if she remembered right. Could her whole parentage be a lie?

she looked down at her lap and could just see James was making progress on the knot. If she could just stall for a little while longer and allow him to continue turning everything she thought she knew about her mother upside down, they just might have a chance.

“So you’re saying..”

“You’re a Luthor Lena, as much as I’m sure you’d hate to admit it!” he was smiling, both hands up as if he was celebrating the news. It was all overwhelming her right now. The bloody Kara, the beaten James, Lex threating to kill them, and to top it off, she’s the secret daughter of Lionel Luthor. Lex Luthor’s flesh and blood. What a nightmare.

“No. _No._ I’m not like you!” she may be related, but they would never be the same.

“You keep telling yourself that!” Lex was laughing now, and it hurt her feelings more than she thought it would. Lex’s mood shifted quick and the smile on his face was replaced by a blank stare.

“Now enough of that bastard bullshit. The medallion! Now!” he demanded, stomping his foot like a child. Lena had to ignore the fact that she is a real Luthor and try and keep him distracted still. James was almost free, if she could just ignore her own shattering world for a moment and get them some time.

“It’s not here dammit Lex! Why are you doing this!” she yelled

“Because you still haven’t learned Lena. Luthors don’t act like you. They don’t come and rescue their useless cameramen and help a nobody like her” he raised his hand again and pointed at Kara. Her eyes were tightly shut as he began to press on the trigger. Lena bit her lip and a tear fell down her face as she watched helplessly.

Before he could shoot, James pulled his hands free and jumped up, grabbing at Lex’s hand and causing him to shoot at the ground by Kara’s feet. He scowled and knocked James down, now pointing the gun at his back. James struggled to push himself up as Lex looked down at him.

“You leave me little choice” he pressed the trigger, once, twice, three times. Each round sinking into James back, leaving a bloody stain on the back of his shirt for every hole the bullets left.

“James!” She screamed as Lex shot off one more. On the final shot, James didn’t flinch. He didn’t get back up. His chest wasn’t rising. Nothing. Lex’s shoes were covered in blood and he looked down disgusted.

“See what you cause Lena? Nothing but death! That’s who you are! And you ruined my favorite shoes!” He bellowed, his face beet red and spit flying from his mouth like the madman he is. He was staring daggers at her, but Lena couldn’t tear her eyes from James. He laid motionless and the implications rattled around in her mind. One of her oldest friends, gone at the hands of her brother. More blood on her hands to keep her up at night.

How many people would she have to see die by the time this was all over?

“You’re insane Lex!” Kara cried, trying hard to pull her hands free. Lex didn’t give any recognition or acknowledgement of what she said. He just raised his arm and pointed at her. Lena could only stare at the gun, flecks of blood on its matte surface.

“No. I’m the only one who’s sane.” He looked to Lena as he said it and it sunk deep into her soul. This man was not her brother, and he would never be ever again.

“Let me show you what that kindness gets you Lena” his voice was completely cold as he said it. she shook her head frantically, looking to Kara for answers. The blonde smiled sadly and shook her head slowly. Lena had little time to react before what happened next.

Lex looked to Kara and pulled the trigger, a single bang filling the room as the round hit her square in the chest. The force sent her chair back with a violent thud and there was blood on Lena’s face as she screamed helplessly.

“KARA!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did someone say cliffhanger? lol


	11. The Rescue Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a desperate escape and some heroics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tada! heres another chapter for ya i hope you like. was finally able to catch a break between assignments to finish this chapter and i have to say i do like it. I originally planned on updating tomorrow but I finished today so I thought might as well. so thankfully you guys didnt have to wait weeks and weeks after all! the next few chapters will have a lot of answers to questions i imagine you have and there will be a lot more action coming your way. let me know what you all think of this bad boy! till next time (which shouldnt be long from now i think)!

“KARA!”

Lex looked pleased with himself, a smirk gracing his face as he put the gun away. He walked to the door once again, stepping over James, and adjusted his jacket as he spoke to her over his shoulder.

“maybe now you’ll get with the program, Lena.” he walked out with a refined posture and slammed the door shut. Tears clouded her vision as she stared helplessly at Kara. She hardly had time to react to James’ death, now she had to figure out Kara’s as well.

Her head was bowed as her heart struggled to pull itself from the brink of falling out of her chest and shattering on the floor. How could she even look Alex in the eye when she failed her one request so miserably? She really was just that little girl who watched her mother disappear below the water. Death follows her like a dark cloud, even when she had something, or someone, as good as Kara.

“I'm sorry Kara, I'm so sorry” she kept crying over and over again. She was messy crying, tears falling into her mouth and she knew what had to be snot running from her nose. It wasn’t a pretty sight but she couldn’t bother to care when Kara was gone. And it was all her fault. How could she live with this pain?

A new emotion crept to the front of her mind as she continued sobbing. She wanted nothing more right now then to make Lex and everyone involved in this pay. They would pay for what they did to James and Kara. That anger was mixing with her sadness and creating a hurricane of emotions insider her that she wasn’t sure she could contain.

She was deep in a mix of heartbreak and rage there was shuffling beside her and a gasp. She turned her head to look at Kara’s body, unable to see anything other than the blonde’s legs. Her retching slowed down only to listen closely for the signs of life she craved to hear.

“Lena” the blonde groaned from her place on the floor. Her voice was hoarse, but Lena was happy to hear her at all. she cried out in pure relief. Kara was still alive, at least for now. If she didn’t act quickly she would soon be alone. She pushed up with her legs, looking around for any idea of how to escape and get Kara help. The chair teetered backwards as she scanned their surroundings.

“Kara, save your energy okay, I’ll figure out how to get us out” Lena searched frantically, her tears still freely falling as she looked for a way to free herself. The room was bare, save for a rather jagged looking piece of metal sticking from a broken pipe behind her. Panic was settling in her stomach like a rock but she did her best to still push through it to save them.

“it hurts” Kara groaned, a hint of fear in her voice as she shuffled more. Lena gulped and did her best to smile through the tears. She wasn’t sure if Kara could see her, but she wanted to put on a brave face for the both of them.

“I know darling, just stay with me okay” she scooted her chair back, looking over her shoulder for the sharp pipe she spotted earlier. The chair went back again, nearly sending her flying back and mimicking Kara’s position. A change of technique was in order, so she leaned forward, the weight of the chair bearing down on her back. It was painful for her wrists and an uncomfortable to stand in but it would have to do.

_Just a bit further_ she encouraged herself, occasionally looking back to Kara, whose face was now coming into view. There was a hint of pain on her features, with a dash of curiosity mixed in as she looked down at her chest. She pulled her eyes away and back at the task at hand, awkwardly making her way back like a turtle just learning to walk.

“um Lena” the blonde spoke up as she was about a foot away from the pipe that would save them. Lena’s eyes stayed on her mission as she answered.

“what? What is it?” Lena asked with concern. She pulled her eyes away from the metal that she could almost touch with her fingers and looked at Kara. The blonde was looking down at her chest then looked back at her, that look of confusion still on her face as she looked down to her chest again.

“its closing” she said in awe.

“what?”

“where he shot me. Its healing” Lena’s eyes went wide as she peeked down at the spot in question. She was astounded when she saw that, instead of a gaping bullet wound to the chest, the skin there was slowly knitting back together. Lena almost gagged at the sight of the nerves and muscles pulling themselves back together, the skin around the edge ebbing forward like the sea to the shore. It was, unsettling, to say the least.

“but how is that possible?” she asked, her eyes flying to Kara’s face. the blonde’s features were now scrunched in pain, her eyes squeezed shut

“I don’t know but it really hurts” her voice was tight, Lena’s heart clenching knowing she was in pain. Even if Kara has weird super healing, they still couldn’t waste any time. She scooted back, cringing when she felt the jagged metal poke into her palm. She readjusted, setting the metal on top of the ropes keeping her in place.

“just hold on, I'm getting loose” Lena felt a drop of sweat drip down from her hairline as she stood up as best she could. She smirked at the fact Eve was so smug, she didn’t bother to tie her legs. Her legs were wobbling as she did her best to create the friction needed to rip the ropes holding her.

She saw it begin to fray, small strings popping off as she huffed at the effort. Kara was watching her with wide eyes. Lena could feel her legs wanting to give out as she cut through.

“you can do it Lena! you’re almost there!” Kara cried in encouragement. Lena smiled through the burn in her legs as she felt the vote of confidence from the blonde surge through her. The rope frayed even more, much of her bonds now cut through. Her legs could no longer handle the effort and she dropped down to the floor with a thud. She was catching her breath still as she pulled on the ropes on her left hand.

She grit her teeth and pulled, a slight tearing sound following her as her left hand was now free. Kara was smiling from her spot on the floor. She pulled the ropes tying her other hand and jumped up. She rubbed her wrists, which were red from her escape and the tight ropes. It hurt but she had other issues that needed attending, starting first and foremost with Kara.

“got it! now let me see you” Lena ran over to the blonde and looked at the gun shot wound. It was still slowly healing, tissues still struggling to stich together again. Lena had a fairly broad knowledge of the human body, thanks to the many science and biology courses forced on her by Lillian. To her mother, even as the daughter of a director, a film major was still useless. Lena may have put the barest of effort into those classes, but she knew the human body couldn’t possibly do something like that.

“how is that even possible?” Lena looked Kara up and down, her hands hovering over all the holes in Kara’s shirt, places she knew were injured earlier. The stab wound on her shoulder which was so crudely cauterized was closed, though there was obvious damage from the so called ‘medic”. Her face was almost entirely healed, some slowly fading bruises the only remnants of any damage there. Before she could think about it any further, Kara kicked her legs and tugged her hands.

“who knows, just untie me and get us out of here” Lena pulled herself from her curiosity and pulled on the first rope.

As Lena worked to undue her bindings, she could hear a commotion going on outside. There was a shouting of Kasnian, then the sound of a horn and suddenly the camp was full of yelling and screaming. She knew one thing; she did not want to be a part of whatever was going on, especially with an injured Kara in tow.

Lena pulled on the final rope and it came off around Kara’s wrists with a sigh from the blonde. She rubbed the red skin there and got up with a huff. Lena couldn’t take her eyes off the hole in the middle of her shirt. Blood had soaked through the fabric but the source of it looked nothing like it should. Kara shouldn’t even be alive, let alone walking but here she was, standing unsteadily beside her.

“we should go see what’s happened. Come on” Lena watched as Kara tried to take a step. Her legs faltered and she almost went straight to the ground. Lena put her arms out quickly, looping them under Kara’s arms. The blonde took a deep breath and gulped as she shook her head. A hand shot to her chest, a grimace on her face.

“I don’t know if I can walk on my own out there. This hurts like hell, Lena” Kara’s weight was bearing down on her. Lena knew she was strong, she had seen the muscles of course, but she hadn’t expected the mass that came with it. she adjusted their positions, getting a firmer grip on Kara’s waist as she had the blonde’s arm around her neck. She held onto her hand like a vise.

“we can do it. so long as we do it together okay?” Kara’s mouth hung open and she looked like she wanted to say something, but she just closed her mouth again. She nodded and looked at the door in front of them.

“lets get out of here then” she smirked and Lena smiled at the determination. Wobbly at first, the two stepped up to the door. She cast one last look at James, the pool of blood building around him. this wasn’t what he deserved. All he wanted to do was help them, and this was what he got in return. It was unfair and Lena ground her teeth as she looked to the door. She closed her eyes and hoped the door was open but didn’t have to worry as someone pulled it from the other side at the same time.

She tensed up, praying that it wasn’t Lex or one of his cronies here to check on them. she let out a sigh of relief when she saw who it was. Alex was standing in front of them with wide, shocked eyes. She had gotten a change of clothes, a commandeered tactical suit, the insignia having been torn off the sleeve. She had a rifle in one hand and stared down at Kara’s chest.

“holy shit! What happened to you guys!?” she cried as she pulled the two of them to her in a hug. Kara groaned and Alex immediately let go.

“it’s a long story, we can explain when we are away from here” Alex looked at Lena concerned but nodded anyway. her eyes fell to the ground and she frowned at James’ body. She sighed at the sight, shaking her head.

“is that?....” she crouched down and shook James’ shoulder. There was no response and Alex put her head down.

“Lex killed him. he tried to save us.” Lena whispered, tears reappearing in her eyes as she thought of his last act; helping protect Kara, someone he didn’t even really know. James always had a heroic streak; she should have expected him to do something like this.

“we can come back for him when this had been dealt with” Alex whispered, patting James’ shoulder.

She turned her back to them and went out the door again, into what Lena now realized was some kind of supply area. She spotted their bag on the floor and Alex took it, throwing it on her back as she riffled through some of the boxes stacked along the walls. Lena watched as she took out medical supplies, ammo, and clothes then shoved everything in the bag.

“how is it you’re here?” Alex didn’t look to them as she examined a full magazine.

“the Kryptonians saw your flare. I saw them leaving and wanted to join. They also said they could help us get out of here. Sam and Nia are at the exit, with an escort of course. Just gotta get to em”

“so we’re leaving? Just like that?” Kara’s voice was sharp as she leaned against her side. Her brows were turned down to match the frown on her face. Alex scoffed as she put the magazine in her pocket.

“yeah. Why do you sound so surprised?” Lena watched the archaeologist’s face morph. It went from slight confusion to hints of anger.

“well, because they need our help” Kara made it sound so obvious, that of course they would stay and fight the bad guys who nearly killed them.

“Kara. Look at you. you’re in no state to keep going like this” Alex gestured to her sister’s whole body, putting special emphasis on the gunshot wound she had just received.

“but you guys-“ Alex put up a hand to stop Kara’s argument. the blond looked like she was ready to interrupt but Alex continued.

“no Kara. We can let the authorities come and deal with this” Alex shook her head and peeked through the exit of the small room.

“but then we would expose krypton! No one knows they exist right now.” Kara’s voice was raised and Lena ran a soothing hand over her back. Her companion looked down at her briefly with a small smile then was back on Alex with a vengeance.

“what do you think the world would do to them when they find out? People just like Lex will be back”

Lena hadn’t much thought of the consequences after this. She had been so focused on surviving that she forgot that they would have to explain all this to someone. She certainly didn’t want to give away the Kryptonians in order to get back at Lex.

“but Kara-“ Lena realized it was probably time to step in as she heard the fighting grow more intense.

“as much as I would love to debate this more, we have to get out of here first” Alex took a deep breath and shook her head but took point anyway.

“you’re right. Come on, we can head back out the way we came but be careful, they’re full on fighting out there okay?” Lena nodded, Kara throwing her head to the side with a pained face.

“lets just move it please” the blonde groaned, hand gripping the seam of her pants with white knuckles.

“alright, stay alert” Alex patted Kara’s arm comfortingly and pushed open the door. They were quicky greeted by the battle gripping the whole camp.

Outside, it was utter chaos. Jor-El’s warriors had arrived in full force, armed with spears, swords and shields. Some were Together in small phalanx like formations, organized and imposing as they marched. Others were all out fighting with Lex’s men, hand to hand or with knives as bullets hailed down from anyone who still had a gun. There was a mess of bodies littering the floor, both sides leaving injured or dead in their wake.

Lena figured they should be outmatched by the modern mercenaries, but she was shocked to see that wasn’t the case. Even more shocked to see that as bullets hit their shields with force, they bounced off and onto the floor, now useless pieces of metal.

She wasn’t allowed to watch them for long as she saw a mercenary point to them. a few guns were now pointed their way, but a hand pulled her elbow behind the Kryptonian soldiers.

“hello! What part of stay alert don’t you get!? Lets go!” Alex yelled. If it was even possible, the fighting got even more intense. The three ran as fast as they could as bullets sprayed, an explosion rocked the ground and rumbled up through Lena’s spine. Alex pulled on her again, her other arm holding the rifle and spraying the men rushing them. they had to make their way through the mess slower than usual, as Kara couldn’t handle going any faster than that.

Another explosion rocked the camp, a building beside them exploding into shards of wood and shrapnel. Lena went down, Kara crying out as she too tripped with her. they fell into the dirt, coughing as the dust settled around them, temporarily hiding everything from view.

There was a ringing in her ears, and she shook her head in her attempt to gather her bearings. She cried out for Kara but could hardly hear herself through the ringing. She looked around and could just see the top of Kara’s head beside her. She scrambled to the blonde, crawling over shrapnel and wood and grabbing her hand. Kara coughed and tried to push herself up while looking at her. her eyes were foggy with confusion as she tried to look around.

There was a hand pulling her elbow and she almost tried fighting it till she looked who it was. Alex was desperately pulling on the both of them with her gun slung over her shoulder.

“we can make it! come on!” Alex yelled over the roaring sounds of battle and sneaking into Lena’s slowly recovering ear drums. She got up, looping Kara’s arm around her once again and walking through the hazy smoke. Lena ignored the sounds around her, eyes trained on Alex’s back, the woman’s gun trained on the path ahead and scanning for threats. Some fighters passed them, they too trapped in the smoke and dust chocking the camp. they were too locked in heated battle to notice them passing

“come on, I think I see the way out!” Alex yelled over her shoulder. Lena nodded as a mercenary was thrown at their feet by a stern faced Kryptonian. The man tried to back away but was picked up by his collar and kneed in the face. the smoke gave way to reveal Astra, who dusted her hands off as she dropped the unconscious man again. She looked them up and down and pointed to the area ahead, where Lena could just spot the gate though the clearing smoke.

“I will get you out. Give me the injured one” she put her hands out and gestured to Kara. The blonde looked unsure at her and Lena nudged her. Kara nodded and limped over to Astra, the woman easily putting her in her arms and looking to the gate. She pulled the shield off her back and handed it to Lena.

“use it to protect you two. We make a break for it” before Lena could object, Astra was off with Kara in tow. Alex ran ahead, Lena following with the shield dutifully in hand. As they came closer to the gate, a jeep pulled up. She was surprised but relived to see Brainy was at the wheel.

“get in!” he yelled at the top of his lungs, arms flailing for their attention. The group ran at top speed, skidding to a stop at the door. Lena could hear some bullets slam into the metal of the shield as Astra set Kara down in the back of the car. She took the shield back from Lena and stood guard behind them.

Lena quickly jumped in beside Kara, holding the sweating blonde’s hand. Alex hopped in beside Brainy and looked to Astra.

“you too!” she yelled at the older woman, who shook her head.

“a general can’t leave their men behind! Now go, your friends are with one of my best at the exit of the cave. Go!” a mercenary came and tried to pull the shield from Astra’s arm, the woman launching a fist to his face and then hitting the car door.

“now!” Brainy nodded and put the car in gear, zooming off and away from the battle. They all caught their breath as Lena examined Kara again. The blonde was sweating and had a death grip on her hand, head leaning back on the seat and eyes tightly shut. Her other hand was covering the wound.

“hows Kara doing?” Alex asked frantically, turning in her chair to look back.

“let me find out” Lena put a hand on her cheek and rubbed with her thumb, Kara’s eyes opening just a touch to squint up at her. Lena smiled as best she could, Kara taking a deep breath and closed her eyes again, but her head turned towards Lena’s hand with a sigh.

“darling, you need to move your hand. I just want to check how it looks okay?” Kara nodded and moved her hand without a word. Lena got in close, examining the wound. It was almost closed, the muscles all put back together as the skin struggled to close it up. She looked back up at Kara and put her hands on her cheeks with a smile.

“you’re gonna be okay Kara. It’s almost all closed” Kara nodded and went up to press her forehead against Lena’s. her hand came up to rest on the back of the Burnette’s head and she inhaled deeply.

“hate to interrupt but we’ve got company!” Alex yelled, setting a pistol down in Kara’s lap. Lena grabbed it before it fell away and looked back, a SUV on their tail. A person leaned out of the passenger side window, revealing an angry Eve, her hair ruffled and absolutely covered in dirt and grime. She must have gotten stuck in the thick of the fighting by the looks of it.

She was brandishing a rocket launcher of all things and Lena gulped. Her eyes were wide with a terrifying grin on her face. in that moment, she looked exactly like Lex and it made the brunette’s spine tingle. Lena’s eyes went wide, and she tapped Brainy’s shoulder.

“I know I know!” the man waved back at her and stepped on the gas. Lena held on tightly to Kara as they went faster and faster

“Of course, she’s got a rocket launcher!” Alex yelled over the roar of the wind and engines revving. Eve aimed the gun, smiling as she launched it. the rocket came barreling towards them, Lena watching with wide eyes as it missed and went straight into a tree on the side of the road.

It hit the bark with a spray of splinters and the tree tilted, falling into the road ahead of them. Brainy swerved out of the way only just in time, everyone holding on for dear life as they avoided the trunk.

“is she trying to kill us? I thought she needed you two at least!” Alex cried, putting in a new magazine and climbing into the back seat.

“guess they’re giving up on being nice” Brainy yelled back.

“that was them being nice?!” Alex yelled back as she trained her rifle at the SUV. She rested her cheek on the stock, eyes narrowing as she aimed. Eve had briefly disappeared into the car but was now back, rocket launcher once again pointed in their direction. Lena tapped Alex’s shoulder in panic.

“Alex?” her voice wavered as the red head let out a deep breath.

“one minute” she answered back as her finger pressed on the trigger. The shot rang out, Lena watching as the bullet went forward, hitting the left front tire. It was like everything that came next happened in slow motion. The tire popped; Eve’s face pulling slowly into shock as the car swerved. She was in the process of firing another rocket when the car careened sideways, hitting a tree on the side of the road head on. the crash wasn’t deadly, but a deafening explosion followed, and Lena could only watch as the car was engulfed in flames.

Lena couldn’t help but cheer out of sheer relief. Hopefully that was the last they would be forced to see of Eve. She didn’t wish death on anyone, but if anyone was truly deserving of some kind of punishment, it was that woman. Alex was equally relieved, as she turned over in her seat, breathing heavily as she looked up to the cave ceiling.

“I need a vacation” she huffed as she set a hand on her forehead.

“um guys” Kara interjected. Lena looked at her in concern, setting the pistol down and grabbing her hand again

“are you okay?”

“yeah, but we’ve got more company” she pointed to their left, all eyes following her finger. Through the trees, Lena could see another car zooming by. Another road met the one they were on, putting them face to face with more mercenaries. Alex cocked the gun again and rolled her eyes then grabbed the pistol Lena had before. She shoved it into her hand, eyes trained on the new adversaries.

“guess they’re not done with us yet” she told them as she crouched in her seat, dropping her bag to the floor. the truck pulled in beside them, a group of three mercenaries riding, one in the drivers seat and two in the back. Lena gulped and gripped the gun in her hands.

“Alex, don’t even think about it” Kara warned, pulling herself up with a hand on the back of the front seat. Lena looked on in confusion as the sisters made eye contact.

“I’ve done it before” Alex shrugged as the truck crept closer.

“yeah once, don’t do it again” Kara tried to sit up further but winced, Lena grabbing her arm as the blonde fell back down.

“it’ll be easy” Alex sounded more like she was assuring herself, Lena still none the wiser as to what she was thinking of doing. The older sister stood up, setting her gun down on the seat and pulling a knife from her belt. She set her foot down on the door of the jeep, leaning forward as she steadied herself with a hand on the closest seat.

“Alex!” Kara yelled, trying in vain to reach a handout. Alex looked at her over her shoulder and smiled.

“I’ll be back” she told her just before she jumped, landing harshly on the hood of the truck. She sunk her knife into the metal of the hood, ensuring she was anchored in place. Lena watched slack jawed at the red head’s gutsy actions. Kara was not pleased in the slightest as she hit the seat with her fist.

“Alexandra Danvers! Come back here!” she yelled, shaking her fist in the air. It was too late, as Alex was already climbing over the car and to the bed in the back. The two mercenaries looked confused as they fumbled for their own knives. They must not have expected that to happen.

The driver of the truck frowned and aggressively turned the wheel, trying to shake Alex off the top as he slammed into their jeep. Brainy held steady, his face stern as he tried to keep them from being knocked off into the brush on the roadside. The truck’s efforts didn’t work, as Alex held onto the truck firmly. She stood up and jumped down in the truck’s bed, smiling at the mercenaries there.

the three began fighting, two to Alex’s one. Lena bit her lip as she watched anxiously. The numbers weren’t in Alex’s favor, but the ex-FBI agent didn’t seem to care. She moved in a flurry, blocking, dodging and stabbing in equal measures. The truck backed away, winding up to slam into them again. Brainy was ready this time, as he beat them to the literal punch. He slammed the jeep into the truck, the three fighters in the back losing their footing temporarily.

Alex recovered first, throwing her knife and landing it squarely in the stomach of one man. Alex rushed forward and grabbed the knife, a river of blood following as the man slowly fell to the floor. That left only one mercenary to fight, and Lena gasped when he grabbed Alex around the shoulders and pulled her.

“Alex!” Kara yelled, taking the gun from Lena’s hand and trying to point it steady at the man holding Alex. she huffed in frustration as he spun around, walking to the edge of the truck.

“I can’t get a good shot!” she yelled and slammed down her hand as Alex struggled in the man’s grasp. She kicked her legs as he tried to push her into the road. He lost his firm grip when she kicked into his stomach. He still had her but now he was only able to try and shove her off the side. He held her by the neck as Alex clawed at the man’s hands.

Brainy took initiative this time, slamming the jeep into the side of the truck forcefully. The truck’s left side momentarily went in the air, providing Alex the leverage to kick off the unsteady mercenary. She stood in a defensive stance, the man smiling as he too put his fists up. None of them expected Alex’s next move.

She jumped up and spun, sending a kick straight into the man’s jaw. Lena swore she heard it break as he went face first into the edge of the truck bed. He hit his face and fell to the floor in a heap. Alex took that as her cue, going to put a leg on the truck bed. Brainy match the trucks speed, pulling the back seat right beside Alex. It was still a good gap between the two cars, but much easier to jump between now.

As Alex prepared to jump, the driver pulled a gun from his coat. He was beginning to aim it at Brainy, smirking as he thought he had the upper hand.

He never had a chance, as at the same time Alex jumped, Kara pulled the trigger. She hit the man right in between the eyes, the driver going limp as his face fell onto the steering wheel. The truck swerved, slamming helplessly into a large rock as they sped away.

They could all finally breath again as they sped down the road. Alex settled down in the seat, catching her breath as Kara scolded her.

“and you’re lucky I can’t tell Eliza about anything we do, or you would be in trouble!” she yelled, sitting up and pointing an accusing finger at her sister. Alex waved her off and Kara fumed.

“and you say I'm the reckless one! no! no way, you now take the most reckless trophy!” Kara raised her arms for emphasis wincing as she looked down at her chest. The skin was finally all closed up, just a fresh pink color now. Lena rubbed her hand up and down on Kara’s arm as Alex adjusted her position, slumping further in her seat.

“its okay Kara. We got out. That's all that matters” Kara looked her in the eye, the two staring deeply at each other. Lena looked at her pleadingly, hoping her eyes conveyed the kind of calm she wanted to give to her. The blonde relented, sighing and shaking her head.

“you’re right. We got out.” She gave Alex side eye before crossing her arms and nodding.

“and it was pretty cool. If crazy” Kara spit out reluctantly, the sisters soon laughing as Alex sat up in her seat.

“you’re just jealous you didn’t get to do it yourself” the woman gently shoved her sister and the blonde nodded.

“only a little bit! But yeah you got me” Lena smiled at the woman as Brainy turned onto a small, well-hidden path and came to a gentle stop. He turned in his seat and pointed ahead of them, between a group of trees.

“we’re here” he said as he got out of the car. the others followed, Lena jumping out first to help Kara. The archaeologist got out largely on her own but looked at her gratefully as she offered a hand. Kara grabbed on, carefully getting out of the car. They all followed Brainy, who walked towards the now visible exit of the cave.

Lena almost cried as she saw the outside world for the first time in days. They were almost free, really free. She could spot a building in the distance miles away, hoping that was civilization calling them. This nightmare would be over soon, and they could all move on with their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ?


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Kara go it alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back with a pretty long one here! sorry i took so long. im honestly pretty down this winter season and with all the craziness going on i just needed a minute to chill. im American so what other explanation do i need lol anyway its a little break from the craziness of the last chapters. this one and the next one will just be pretty soft and after that its back to the insanity of treasure hunting. hope you enjoy it! let me know what you think!

With Kara’s arm thrown over her shoulder, Lena made her way down the forest path with the rest of their group. The blonde was no longer leaning on her for support, walking steadily and confidently on her own. Her arm was just loosely wrapped around and even though it served no other purpose than closeness, Lena truly didn’t want her to move it.

Everything was finally, _finally_ coming to an end. No more sleeping on the forest floor, no more mercenaries, no more fearing for your life and of those around you. she could finally go home and take a nice hot shower. Then, once it was all settled down, her and Kara could explore whatever it was they found in each other here. that was surprisingly one of the main things she was looking forward to.

Brainy and Alex led the pack, pushing branches out of the way as they pushed to the exit. Lena couldn’t help but watch them with a smile, knowing they were almost at the finish line. She was already imagining the cup of coffee she would get once they were out and was craving a Big Belly burger like she never had before.

_Oh sweet, sweet civilization, how I missed you_ Lena cried in her mind with a smile blooming on her face. soon, this whole ordeal would be a distant, albeit painful, memory. They would get out, call the authorities and have Lex dragged away in chains.

Brainy pulled back a branch and pointed ahead. Lena could see perfectly now the outside and she swore a tear slipped down her face. They were deep in a forest, their view unobstructed though as the cave was situated just above the tree line. Lena could make out what was just possibly a town a few miles out, the unmistakable sight of a building just barely above the trees in the distance. The sight filled her with happiness. It was really almost over.

“here they are” Brainy told them, putting a hand on Kara’s back as she walked past. Nia and Sam were there, with a young man dressed in the same armor as some of the Kryptonian warriors she had seen. He was wearing a intricate red and blue shawl, a steel breastplate under it and a pair of gauntlets for protection. Unlike the others though, his had a shining gold S.

They couldn’t have been more than 17, their face still carrying an obvious childlike wonder to it as the three talk amongst themselves. His black hair and striking blue eyes stood out to her as he turned his head quickly. He shot to a defensive stance with practiced precision, hands clutching his spear in front of him.

“explain yourselves!” he demanded in perfect English. Brainy put his hands up and Nia put a hand on his shoulder.

“these are our friends we were telling you about” he looked warily at her and then back to the group. Brainy nodded and the young man put his hands down and smiled. Lena hadn’t even realized she tensed up at the interaction till the boy smiled, the fear melting away.

“I'm sorry. Please excuse my behavior before. I am Kal-El, son of Jor-El” He bowed then straightened his back. He had a perfect soldier’s posture as he looked out the exit. Lena’s eyes widened. This boy was the son of the leader of Krypton? She was surprised Jor-El let him out of his sight with everything going on.

“my father has instructed me to escort you to the town. If we hurry, we can make it before noon” he turned back and looked at everyone waiting for them to agree, a hand loosely behind his back and the other holding his weapon. Lena took the opportunity to examine the state of their group.

Sam and Nia were both dressed in clean clothes, bandages changed and obviously in much better shape than before. Brainy and Alex both looked intensely tired, bags under both of their eyes and their heads not raised nearly as high as they had been when they met.

Finally, she ended on Kara. The woman had been surprisingly quiet the whole walk, her eyes off in the distance, which worried Lena deeply. They were finally near the end yet there was no giant smile on her face.

She could just brush it off as an emotional overload. So much had happened that they hadn’t gotten to fully talk about yet, and there was still so much to get through. Her eyes couldn’t help but drift down to the hole in her shirt, where just an hour earlier had been a gaping wound that should have killed her. Lena ached for her, squeezing her arm tightly as she thought of all the terrible possibilities they narrowly missed.

Kara looked down at her, her eyes surprisingly blank. If she didn’t know any better, she would say she wasn’t happy to be there. Lena’s hand drifted to her chest, where the newly healed skin sat. the archaeologist smiled softly and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly in her own. She was beyond thankful that they both made it here alive. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if she made it here and not Kara. They were pulled from their soft moment by their Kryptonian protector.

“please, we must go. I have to get back to my people as soon as possible” Kal-El pleaded, pointing to the waiting world before them. Lena took a deep breath and looked back up to Kara with a smile. Yet when she looked, there was still no smile on Kara’s face. Lena knew something had to be off. someone as open with their happiness as Kara would have cracked a real smile over this by now.

“alright people, time to move it before Lex finds us” Alex came up from behind her and patted her shoulder, walking with renewed vigor to the exit. Brainy followed suite, Nia grabbing his hand as they turned to walk with everyone else.

Lena took a step but stopped when the arm around her shoulder slipped away. She whipped around, looking at Kara, who was completely still, that same serious look on her face. Lena walked back, grabbing her hand with a grin.

“come on darling. We can go now, we’re free.” Lena tugged but Kara was unmoving. Kara pulled her hand back, shaking her head as she looked down at the ground.

“I cant” Kara answered with a cracking, weak voice.

“what?” Lena’s worry was rising more and more as she watched the woman before her. they were finally at the end and Kara was refusing to go. that was not a development she was expecting.

“I can’t go. I won’t” the blonde’s voice was stern, more confident in her words. There was shuffling behind her, Alex coming to stand with Lena. she looked a step from panicking as she talked to her sister.

_Please talk sense into her Alex_ she cried in her mind.

“Kara this isn’t really negotiable.” The sister told her with a demanding tone. Kara shook her head again and finally looked at the both of them.

“I won’t leave these people, not when I can help” Alex scoffed and went to her sister. She grabbed her shoulder and sighed.

“look Kara, we can help. Once we get to the town, we’ll let the authorities know and they’ll deal with it” Kara gently pushed Alex’s hand off her shoulder and took a step back into the cave. Lena took a step toward her, hand outstretched as the blonde explained herself.

“but then they’ll find the Kryptonians. If people know, more like Lex will come. I can’t let that happen, not when I can do something”

“Kara…” Alex sighed, her eyes watering. Her shoulders were sagging, and her hand was already reaching for her sister again. Then suddenly she pulled her hand back, nodding in acceptance. There was no fight, no outburst.

“you all go with Kal-El. Ill head back and help them take down Lex.” With one hand Kara patted Alex’s shoulder, the other drifting over and squeezing Lena’s gently. The hand disappeared before Lena could squeeze back, Kara using her free hands to grab the rifle off Alex’s shoulder.

Lena watched in horror. Kara was really wanting to go back in. yet Lena knew only part of her was terrified. The other part wasn’t surprised. From the Kara she had gotten to know, this was just so her. there was no way someone as brave and as kind as Kara would ever willingly leave a good cause, especially when lives were at stake, innocent lives.

Lena would not be left behind. Plenty of people in her life had called it quits on her. her brother, Lillian, her clients, her old friends and even though she hadn’t intended to, her mother. Lena was always the one left and she would never let that happen again, especially not with Kara. She would move forward, fight for the things she wants and cares about. She would be like Kara, as best as she could, and right now she knew what she had to do to do that.

_I have to act. Just like Kara would_

“then you’re not going alone” she announced as she pulled off the backpack on Alex’s back. Alex watched her in shock as she pulled the straps over her own shoulders. Kara didn’t look reluctant, but she didn’t seem happy that Lena would be joining.

“Lena…” she wasn’t having any arguments, shaking her head with closed eyes and stepping beside her, her back to the exit. The outside world would have to wait.

“no. me and you have made it this far and like hell I'm leaving you now” she adjusted the bags straps and looked back to the path they had just gone down. it was a long walk, and they didn’t even know where to start to look for the other Kryptonians, but they could do it. together, her and Kara could do anything. That's what Lena has found out this week.

“but-“ Lena rounded on the blonde, hands going to rest gently on the sides of her neck. She raised an eyebrow and Kara gulped. As Lena rubbed her thumb through the blonde baby hairs at the back of her neck, she looked deep into her blue eyes.

“no buts. If you’re going so am I” Kara nodded with wide eyes, and Lena let go. she turned back to the rest of the group, who were all watching quietly.

“Nia, do you still have the medallion?” Lena ran back to the girl, who jumped up in place, confusion on her face. she pulled on the chain around her neck, pushing it over her head. She held it out

“yeah here” Lena snatched it up, holding it loosely in her hands. She saw Kal-El’s eyes widen at the sight of the jewelry. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as she handed it off to Kara. The woman pulled it over her head as Lena addressed their very tired companions.

“thanks. You all go. me and Kara will meet you in the town when this is all over.” they all seemed hesitant but Nia and Sam both nodded. Brainy just watched Alex as she didn’t give any kind of confirmation. Her face looked stormy and her forehead wrinkles. She only had one thing to say, a soft whisper beneath her breath.

“be careful. Please” the elder Danvers looked up at them then turned her back to them. Kal-El stepped up, eyes shifting from her to Kara. He held his spear with both hands and took a steadying breath.

“you truly wish to help my people?” his voice was soft and uncertain, and Lena could understand why. They were complete strangers after all. she nodded, as Kara did. the blonde stepped up beside her, taking Lena’s hand in hers once again and looking at the young man with a fiery determination in her eyes..

“yes. Anything we can do to stop Lex” Kal-El eyed them carefully, biting his bottom lip as he looked them up and down. he nodded slowly and let one hand drift away from his spear and hang loosely at his side.

“I feel that you are telling the truth. So be it” he turned away from them and looked over her shoulder.

“I will show you the tunnel to the city entrance. Then I will escort your friends” he smiled and began to walk. There was another tunnel unlike the one they had been in not long before. This time though it was more of a hole in the ground with nothing but a set of yellow leaves covering it.

Kal-El bent down and lifted the ‘cover’ and pointed down to it with his spear.

“at every fork, turn to the farthest path to the right. It will take you right to Krypton” Lena watched Kara’s face as her eyes widened at the news. Lena figured she deserved a little excitement at the news. Much of Kara’s life had been dedicated to the search for the lost city. Now she was on the cusp of finding it, if not in the way she had been hoping.

“when you get there, tell them Kal-El sent you. if they do not believe you, say ‘El Mayarah’. You will need the medallion as well” Lena memorized the phrase in her mind and Kara gave a thumbs up. The use of the medallion still eluded her, but she would save it for later.

“El Mayarah. Got it.” the blonde took a step toward the small entrance but Kal-El grabbed her shoulder. He took her hand in his and held it tight as he smiled at her.

“good luck my new foreign friends.”

“thank you Kal-El” Lena stepped forward and put a hand on his arm. She felt the weight on this young man’s shoulders. His people were at war, and he was the son of their leader. Far too much for a teenager but he was handling it well.

“no, thank you” Kal-El shook his head as they let go. Kara nodded and grabbed her hand once again. It was time to go and save the day, and Lena could feel her heart racing at the idea.

“please take care of our friends”

“I will. now go. my people need all the help they can get” he nudged them, and Kara took the hint. She temporarily let go of her hand and jumped down the hole. There was a slam and a muffled ‘oof!’ as she went. Lena rushed to look down, calling for her partner.

“Kara!? You okay?”

“yeah, lost my footing just a little is all” she groaned and there was more shuffling. Lena sighed with a happy smile as she crawled in behind her. the lid was placed back on top and the tunnel was submerged in darkness. Lena pulled the bag off her back and rummaged for the flashlight she knew had to still be there. She found it and pulled it out and with a click the tunnel was full of light.

“I'm really going to have to ask them how they did all this, the tunnels and all” Kara was standing before her, covered in dirt once again as she pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

“let go find us a lost city huh?” the blonde’s optimism never failed in filling her with warmth. Lena simply nodded and off they were once again though this time the mission wasn’t rescue; it was to kick Lex’s ass.

After a few hours of fumbling through the narrow tunnels, and many many, _many_ forks later, they came to the end of the tunnel system.

Lena looked to Kara for confidence. The flashlight cast harsh shadows on her face, making her features sharper than Lena thought they could be. Kara nodded slowly and cupped her hands while in a crouching position.

With some reassurance from Kara about her strength, Lena stepped onto her hands, Kara lifting her with a few heavy huffs. She pushed the lid up and was met with an almost bewildering sight. Her eyes widened and she looked back down at her companion with a shocked expression. Kara looked hesitant waiting for what she had to say.

“I cant wait till you see this” Kara smiled and held her up higher.

“then you should probably hurry so I can go too huh?” Lena chuckled and pulled herself up the ledge. she stood and took a few steps forward, the shuffling behind her signaling the blonde was almost up too. Lena had only eyes for the sight in front of her. she was only reminded of the magnitude of the discovery when there was a gasp beside her.

“fuck. Its here” Kara gasped, her hand going to press into her forehead. Lena turned to her, watching as her eyes began to water. The blonde wasn’t sad though, as a smile sprung to her face and she began to chuckle.

The Lost city was finally in front of them, no doubt about it. for thousands of years people searched, and they were actually here. though she wasn’t that kind of academic, the significance wasn’t lost on Lena.

They were greeted by towering stone gates, intricately patterned with what seemed to be decorative Kryptonian script. The wall had to go up at least 60 feet and circled around what Lena could just barely see as towers and stone buildings. There were obvious signs of life coming from inside, the chatter and laughter of a bustling city flowing over the walls and to their shocked senses.

“we really did it. the city is right in front of us.” Kara’s legs gave out and she fell in a happy heap in the dirt. Lena followed wrapping her arms around her. the blonde did the same, her arms coming to rest at her lower back as she celebrated, tears running down her face. she put a hand out, palm facing the walls as she laughed.

“I did it, mom, dad. We found it. you may have beat me to it but I'm finally here” Lena pulled back, looking deep into the ocean eyes in front of her. a single tear slipped down Kara’s face and Lena wiped it with the pad of her thumb.

Kara had spent much of her life looking for this moment. Lena felt honored that she got to see her reaction, her happiness flooding out in waves. She would cherish the sight for the rest of her days, however many that would be.

“thank you for being here with me Lena. feels nice to share it with someone” Lena just smiled, resting her head against Kara’s as they held each other. Kara pulled away this time and Lena thought she may have overstepped but the woman put a hand on her cheek.

Kara moved closer and closer, her eyes drifting down to Lena’s mouth. If Lena knew anything about people, a kiss was coming her way and she would gladly accept it. with half lidded eyes, Lena leaned in, mere inches from Kara.

But they didn’t get the chance. There was hurried footsteps behind them, and Lena felt Kara pull her tighter to her chest.

“explain yourselves!” a woman yelled at them. they both jolted apart, looking up at the one who yelled at them. they were surrounded by Kryptonian guards, dressed in sleek armor like Kal-El but their clothes underneath were jet black. Spears were pointed dreadfully at them and Lena gulped.

Luckily, Kara took the lead. She put her hands up and smiled nervously.

“Kal-El sent us! We want to help” Lena bit her lip as the soldiers took in her words. The spears didn’t move as they talked amongst themselves and Lena gripped Kara’s shoulders almost painfully tight.

“they could be lying!” one man yelled, staring daggers at them. Lena clenched her teeth as the guards around them bickered over their fates.

“I think I saw the blonde one at that camp we took earlier today” a younger woman said behind Kara. The initial voice must have been the leader, as she nodded along then looked to them.

“you should not be here outsiders. Leave”

“no wait! Kal-El said to tell you El Mayarah if you didn’t believe us” their captors all set their spears down at that, the leader looking at them astounded.

“Kal-El? he told you that?” Kara nodded as the guards slowly moved out of their defensive stances.

“yes. He said you would let us in then. And we have this” Lena pulled the medallion up and the leader frowned. The other soldiers looked to the woman again, the warrior taking a heavy breath and then closing her eyes. They all waited with baited breath as the woman nodded.

“let them pass” she pointed behind her and Lena let out a sigh.

“thank you” Kara smiled as a soldier helped the two of them up. He pointed to the city gate, Kara and Lena both going to walk to it.

“I was wondering when I would see you two again” a voice called out from atop the city walls. Looking up, they were met with Jor-El’s smiling face, the crows feet beside his eyes a welcome sight. his hands were clasped behind his back and he was flanked by even more soldiers as they looked down at them.

“Jor-El! It’s good to see you” Kara cried; her head pointed straight up at the man as she waved heavily with both arms. Lena too was personally relived to see them. Any friendly faces in this cave is a welcome sight.

“and you Kara, Lena” the man smiled warmly as he put a hand on the edge of the wall.

“do you still have the medallion?”

“yeah!” Lena held the necklace up and the soldiers standing by the man seemed shocked. Jor-El gave them a toothy grin and clapped his hands together in front of his chest.

“next to the gate, there should be an indent” he pointed down next to what Lena now saw were giant stone doors. The two of them walked along the wall, hands tracing the carvings till Lena’s hand dipped into a small circle, the stone carefully carved out.

She pulled on Kara’s hand, who then bent down to examine on her knees. She smiled up at Lena and she looked back up at Jor-El.

“okay found it” they both cried as he was leaning over the railing of the wall now and still pointing. Lena’s heart was pounding at the thought of going inside. If that's how she was feeling, she was sure Kara was feeling it a million times more.

“press the medallion into it” Kara put her hand up and lena took the hint. She pulled the necklace off, the chain making a light clinking noise as she placed it in the blonde’s hand. Kara examined it for a moment before pushing it into the slot. Lena put a hand on her shoulder for support as she held her breath.

Kara began to lead the medallion to the indent, her face tense as it inched further in. her arms tensed when she gave one final press and it was like everything came to life. There was a kind of mechanical sound from inside the wall and the doors groaned. With a deep heave, they began to open, revealing the city before them.

She was beginning to feel like she was in a movie or maybe a dream, because there was no way this could be real. She would have never guessed she would be witness to anything even remotely like this. She was one of the few privileged enough to even know krypton actually existed, let alone been inside.

“woah” Kara’s mouth dropped open and Lena put a hand on her shoulder. She rested her head on top of the hand and sighed.

“woah is right” Lena gawked as they were finally going to get the first glimpse of the city. Before they could really appreciate it, It was quickly blocked by the throng of guards in front of them. there was still no mistaking the presence of people, and a sprawling city ahead. Lena could pinpoint those sounds anywhere.

Crowds of people, the sound of shoes on pavement as they made their way around, so many voices it makes your head spin sometimes. Not unlike her time in Metropolis or even National City. It was familiar, and almost comforting to hear. Like she was just sitting in her apartment with the window open, or at the park and just listening.

“so that's what this thing is for” Kara looked down at the medallion still in her hands, her voice dripping with a tinge of awe. Lena rubbed her back as there was more shuffling in front of them. looking up, they were face to face with Jor-El once again, flanked by guards as per usual. He looked down at the object in Kara’s hands and pulled on a chain around his neck. It was a medallion almost exactly the same as their own.

“yes, all Kryptonians have one. it’s how you get in and out of the city” Kara and Lena both looked at each other in surprise. They had thought this object was far rarer, but it seems that's not the case.

“must be why Lex wanted one” Lena said as she took the medallion as well to look at it. the red jewel at the center glinted in the light as she held it. Jor-El nodded grimly.

“hmm. There are other reasons as well, but I will explain later” the two women looked at each other in question but would wait till Jor-El wanted to tell them more. The man turned his back to them and began to walk into the city, guards parting before them to allow them space to walk.

It was unlike anything Lena had ever seen. Kara gasped beside her, her hands going to run through her hair. Many of the building looked like they had been carved, others were built from more modern brick and even cement. Many were carved with the same ornate patterns from the wall. There were also many towers connected by simple bridges to other towers and buildings, people hustling across them.

Then the people. They looked far more modern than she had been expecting. Some were dressed not unlike Jor-El, with flowing robes, but some had a more modern touch to the style. She even saw some with jeans and t shirts on and swore she just saw a pair of converses on a passing teenager. There were no cars, but she spotted a few people peddle by on bikes.

What shocked Lena was the number of people. There had to be thousands of people calling this place home. The streets looked similar to what you would see in the city. Dozens of people on the streets, going from one place to the next in a hurry. Then slowly, people began to notice their presence and It seemed like all noise stopped, as if the city was suspended in time.

They walked behind Jor-El, his guards dutifully following. Around them, Kryptonians watched as they passed with shocked faces. Merchants and buyers in mid transaction too busy watching them and not noticing their good falling to the floor. A child held onto their mother’s leg as Kara passed within inches of her, eyes wide in a mix of fear and confusion. a group of teens were siting on a fountain, whispering behind their hands as they made eye contact with the two of them.

It felt like they were fish in a bowl, and everyone was waiting for them to do something. Lena wondered if many of them had even seen the last time an outsider had been in their city. It had to have been a long time, if their reactions were anything to go off of.

“I'm sorry, with everything going on, outsiders make them weary” Jor-El called over his shoulder as they walked. Lena nodded, looking to Kara’s face. the blonde was scanning the area with eyes like saucer and a mouth turned up in a small smile. Lena couldn’t help but smile too, turning to walk closer to the blonde and looping her arm with her own.

Kara looked over to her and her smile grew. No words were said but Lena knew exactly what she was saying.

_I can’t believe we’re here_.

They walked further into the city, away from the crowds and watchful eyes. They walked up to what seemed to be a neighborhood. It looked different then the main part of the city. They were mostly wooden houses along a cobblestone path. Lena was surprised to see that it looked like any other neighborhood you would find in the outside world, just with a giant wall encompassing them as protection from the rest of the cave.

They turned down a small path, leaving the neighborhood behind. They passed between a small line of trees, then the path emptied into a field, showing a giant mansion like home before them. both her and Kara’s mouths dropped to the floor at she size and complexity of it. she could hear Jor-El bark out a laugh as he moved past them.

Jor-El walked up to the home with confidence but didn’t go to the front door. He went around the side, where a set of double doors sat. he pulled on the handle of the doors there and ushered them inside a huge room, stone walls going up and up, towering over them and a glass ceiling letting light stream in.

He put a hand up when his men went to follow, leaving just the three of them inside. He finally turned to look at them, his eyes traveling up and down, stopping on the still present hole in Kara’ shirt.

“well, I'm am glad to see you both in one piece, but I must ask. I thought you were to leave with my son?”

Lena looked around while Kara answered, admiring the mural that adorned the high walls of the room. it seemed like it was part study, part monument as a desk sat in the center with a few little bookshelves, but the walls remained clear of anything but the mural. it was a sprawling tree, with different Kryptonian words written above some of the branches. It curled around the room, surrounding them in whatever It was they were honoring. Since everything was written in the foreign language, she had little idea what it was saying.

“we were but we couldn’t just leave. We want to help you” those words brought Lena back to the task at hand. They came here for a mission. They needed to help take down Lex. Lena knew out of everyone here, she wanted to do it more than anything.

She felt like she had something to prove. That she wasn’t like him, that she could stand up for something, and fight to keep what was precious to her. Her brother was not the person she once knew. He was sadistic, callous, and downright evil. She owed it to everyone to help, she had to if she wanted to sleep at night ever again.

“I appreciate your concern truly. There might be something you could do actually, a plan I have in mind” the older man sounded relieved as he leaned onto the desk. Lena only had a bit of an idea how things were going. She could feel her heart clench at what crimes Lex could have committed against these people.

“there will be a meeting later tonight held by the guild council. We will speak of it then” Jor-El stepped away from the desk, his hands coming to rest behind his back. He looked around the mural with a smile and then turned to them once again.

“till then, I have something to ask you Kara.” Kara looked around the room in confusion, then pointed at her chest. Jor-El smiled and nodded.

“oh? And what would that be?” Kara set her hands on her hips and Lena watched their interaction closely.

“what happened to your chest? I had heard from some of my men that you had a rather dire injury, yet I see nothing?” Jor-El took a step closer and pointed at the still present hole in her shirt. The skin was like new, as if she hadn’t gotten shot point blank. Not even a touch of pink and Lena’s throat closed up at the memory. Even though Kara was still alive, she would have to live with that image in her head forever.

“oh well I was shot by Lex, but the weird thing is, it closed” Kara pulled at the hem of her shirt, looking down at the fraying edges of the hole. Jor-El hummed, a hand going up to play with his beard.

“would you say the shot should have killed you?” at that, Lena reached over and grabbed Kara’s hand with both of hers. The blonde gulped and nodded.

“it probably should have yes” Lena held on to her companion together, Kara reciprocating the action. Kara’s other hand came around and squeezed the top of Lena’s clenched one, like reassurance she was still there.

“how peculiar” Jor-El whispered. he stood up straighter, eyes full or curiosity.

“how far back do you know your ancestral tree?” the question felt a little out of nowhere. They were just talking about how Kara almost died, now it was on to lineage?

“what?”

“you know, your lineage. Your parent’s family. Grandparents, uncles, etcetera.” Jor-El walked to the wall, tracing some of the Kryptonian script with his hands. Kara looked to Lena again, then back to Jor-El with a shaky answer.

“um, I think up until my great grandparents. Why?”

“well, you see, I hadn’t had time to ask your parents, but youre here now.” He looked at Kara, examining her face.

“when I heard your name, I began to wonder. Could you be one of us? So, I did some research” Jor-El wasn’t looking at them now. his eyes were following the branches of the tree, going all the way up to the intricate glass dome at the top. he put his hands up in a grand gesture.

“this is our ancestral tree. A complete record of the El family going back thousands of years” Kara’s jaw dropped and she pulled Lena to stand beside the Kryptonian leader.

“wow! Its huge!” Kara too began tracing the words, which Lena now understood must be names. She too was astounded. To have such a detailed list of your family, going back before most modern civilizations even existed, that was an impressive feat in itself.

“indeed. I believe I may shed some light on how you were able to survive that wound, if we could find your family members here” Lena watched as Kara and Jor-El set out to find familiar names. The blonde was near running as Jor-El pointed her to where the most recent names would be.

Lena followed behind slowly, not able to help due to her lack of knowledge on the language. She watched with a smile as the two got on hands and knees to read a name near the bottom of the far wall. Kara called and pointed down at the name with a grin.

“there! My grandfather’s name was Seyg Jr. 1920 to 1972. Never met him but dad talked about him.” Jor-El looked fondly at her then back to the tree, slowly standing as he traced it back up.

“and his father is there too!” She stood up and looked back at Lena, who was smiling right back. As he stood up straight, he put a hand on Kara’s shoulder a nodded thoughtfully.

“it seems you are my niece in that case. Well, great-great grandniece or something along those lines, but my niece!” Kara huffed out a laugh as Jor-El pulled her into a side hug.

“so, I'm Kryptonian” she sounded like she was in shock at the new information and Lena couldn’t blame her. it was every day you discovered you’re a member of a culture that has been hidden for thousands of years and thought to be extinct. Jor-El looked on proudly as he clapped her back.

“yes Kara. Of the mighty House of El too.”

“that's a lot to take in. I wonder if my parents knew that” Kara looked up at the names higher up the mural, Lena going to stand beside her and her new uncle.

“possibly. Or your grandfather kept it hidden.” Jor-El shrugged. He turned to the archaeologist and grabbed her shoulders, his face still gleaming with a smile.

“but regardless, it would explain your miraculous survival as well.”

“how?” Lena found herself asking the same question. Surely the whole spiel about super soldiers couldn’t be true, right? Even Kara herself wrote it off as a myth.

“what happened to you is what the invaders are hoping to gain.” Kara had only eyes for Jor-El but her hand swan around, opening and closing in Lena’s direction. She took the hand in her own, Kara letting out a deep breath as Lena stepped in close to her.

“I'm sure you have heard of that myth about super warriors. Its mostly fiction but like with anything of that nature, there is a grain of truth” Kara nodded, both waiting patiently to hear what the man wanted to tell them.

“you see, for thousands of years this city has stood. We have endured all which Rao could throw at us, famine, plague, invasion, full scale war. What Lex has brought is just the latest” Lena cringed, wanting nothing more than to apologize for the destruction and pain her brother has no doubt brought.

“yet through it all we have survived. While yes, the Kryptonians are strong people, we also have…a gift”

“a gift?” Lena repeated, her interest already piqued at the new information. Jor-El nodded, going around to the desk and once again leaning on it.

“yes. Rao’s blessing we call it. We have had our best scientists working for centuries to understand it.” Lena was surprised to know they had scientists. Of what they had already seen of the city though, Krypton seemed like a much more advanced place than she was assuming.

“we have found some links between our sacred tower and our water, maybe something with the soil as well. Its still mostly a mystery” Kara fished out the necklace from her pocket and Lena wondered if she was thinking of the same thing. Could that tower be the same one he’s talking about?

“see, When our ancestors arrived, they discovered the ‘tower’, though at the time is was simply a natural formation”

“water flowed from it, and when they went to the top, they discovered the water flowed around an odd stone, a deep blood red. They found many little pieces in the surrounding area as well, but nowhere else” Lena was picturing the whole story in her head. A group of settlers trying to make sense of their odd findings.

“as they established this as their home, they discovered their newfound gifts. hunters mauled by bears who did not die, warriors, impaled, who are able to walk away.” Lena watched as one of Kara’s hands drifted up to the spot on her chest, fingers rubbing in circles on the area.

“believing it to be a gift from Rao through the stone, they built a temple around it”

“our culture at its start revolved around the stones. You have one there in the medallion” Jor-El pointed out the heavy metal piece, the weight of its significance weighing them both down as they looked at it.

“they named the stone kryptonite and named the city after this gift from the heavens.”

“but this story hasn’t given us all the answers. We have not been able to discover how Rao chooses those he gives this gift to.” The man shrugged; his arms crossed over his chest.

“our legends say that those who have proven themselves to be pure of heart, and brave amongst all else are who he has chosen.” Lena wondered if there was any truth to that. if anyone fit that bill, it was Kara, so it made sense she of all people now has this gift.

“my scholars believe that it is a type of biological difference. A special piece of Kryptonian DNA that only some have unlocked.” This other theory took Lena aback. Could it be that its true? Are the Kryptonians just the next step in human evolution? This would be all over the news if that were true. and just like Kara said, more people like lex would come here to take advantage of them. no wonder they stayed hidden for so long.

“it is believed that the water that flows from the tower has minerals in it you can’t find anywhere else, and that is what contributed to the change, or evolutionary step my scholars say” Jor-El stood up from the desk, his arms falling to his sides as he walked up to Kara.

“I have it, my son has it, and now it seems, you have it Kara” he pointed to the hole in her shirt once again, the glaring evidence that Kara was different, that she was possibly chosen for a reason. Lena never really believed in a higher power type of deal, but it sure sounded plausible with everything she just learned.

“I know not how it happened, but Rao has chosen us. I see now it was for a reason” Jor-El grabbed Kara around the shoulders, the woman going to put a hand on his elbow.

“I believe Rao brought you here to aide in this fight, and he knew you would need his gift” Kara nodded, her face blank for a moment as she absorbed everything he said. He let her go and Kara put her hands on her hips again. She looked down at the floor, then back and forth between Lena and Jor-El.

“I…wow. Okay. Does anyone else’s head hurt or just me?” Lena chuckled as Kara ran a hand tensely through her hair, blinking rapidly. Jor-El nodded, his face stern.

“I know, it is fantastical, but it is true. I myself survived many near death experiences as a young man” he gestured his head at Kara.

“not unlike you Kara.”

“but wait, if only Kryptonians can have it, why is Lex so insistent on getting his hands on it?” Lena finally stepped in, hoping she could rub in Lex’s face the fact that what he so desperately wanted, he couldn’t have.

“I tried to help him understand. He would not see reason. He believes that I am lying to him, that he can steal the blessing and give it to who he wishes” Jor-El’s face was pulled up in disgust, like the mere mention of the man made his insides churn. Lena could understand that, maybe better than most anyone at this point.

“but I am afraid of what could happen if he managed to take the stone. There is no telling if simply more research, especially with all of your modern tools, could grant the ability to outsiders.” Lena had feared an answer like that, but she understood. He said himself, there is still so much they don’t know about the stone, that letting anyone take it could put them all in danger.

“he is ready to destroy krypton and all of our people if we do not comply” the mans face was grim and Lena could tell he had the weight of his entire people on his shoulders. So much was riding on him stopping Lex. Kara seemed undeterred; her face determined as she nodded.

“then we have to stop him. pretty straight forward” Jor-El looked blankly at his niece, then his mouth slowly turned to a smile and he looked down, shaking his head with both hands on the back of his neck.

“if only I had as much optimism as you both” he stood straight once again, adjusting his cloak and clapping his hands in front of him.

“but that is what our meeting is on in a few hours. Until then, I will show you to the rest of my home where you can get a change of clothes and you could explore the city” he pointed to a door Lena hadn’t even noticed behind him.

“oh no Jor-El, we couldn’t intrude like that” Kara stepped up, shaking her hands at the idea. Jor-El brushed it off, grabbing both of their hands and pulling them to the door.

“nonsense! I could not allow my own niece to stay anywhere but my own home!” he said as if it was almost an insult to suggest otherwise.

“now come, my wife Lara is busy with lunch as we speak.” Lena gulped at the idea of meeting more Kryptonians. She already felt so much guilt about her brother, she wasn’t sure if she could handle anything else.

They were pulled into the rest of the house, quickly passing room after room. another study, a few bedrooms, what seemed to be an indoor pool. Finally, they stopped at a kitchen, where an older woman was standing in a flowing red dress. Her fading blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail as she worked over a pot.

She turned when they took their first steps into the kitchen. Her face broke into a smile at the sight of the man beside them. she dropped what she was doing and walked to him, her arms looping around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss on the cheek.

_“_ smells amazing Lara _”_ he told her while wrapping his arms tightly around her waist.

“ah Jor-El, I was wondering where you were. And who might these two be?” she looked at her and Kara curiously, the two of them awkwardly waving at her.

“this is Lena Kara Zor-El, our niece and her wife!” Lena had never felt such a hard record scratch in real life.

_Wife? Mrs. Zor-El? How did he come to that conclusion!_

Not that the idea sounded entirely unpleasant, but it was a little fast when they only just agreed to eventually go on a date. While Lena was frozen, Kara sputtered beside her, stuttering through an explanation.

“wait what? We’re not married! We aren’t… I mean we haven’t… that's not-I don’t-um” Kara rambled, and Lena put a hand on her arm to try and calm her word vomit down. Jor-El looked confused, his head tilted to the side.

“oh truly? I am sorry, you two just reminded me of my Lara and I so much” he looked at the woman in his arms with love and the woman laughed. She looked at the two of them and then back to her husband.

“oh, do you remember being that young Jor-El? After our pilgrimage?” the two were making heart eyes at each other. A part of Lena was uncomfortable at the PDA, but the other was happy. She wondered if she could have something like that, so loving even when her and Kara were in their advanced years.

_Wait, did I just think of being like that with Kara? God, I'm whipped_

“hm yes my love. Oh, those were the days”

“pilgrimage?” Lena butt in, curious at what they were speaking of.

“when Kryptonians come of age, they go out into the world. They explore, meet new people, go to new lands. Find themselves. If they wish, they return to the city” Jor-El dropped a hand to his hip, his chest puffing out as he spoke of their cultural traditions. Lara nodded along, a grin on her face.

“our Kal-El is getting ready for his own” her eyes were practically shining at the mention of, seemingly. Their only child. Lena had only seen that face on her father, Lillian never showing any kind of happiness when she mentioned her. though now, with what she learned from Lex, it made a lot more sense why.

“but enough of that I'm sure you’re both starving. Come Kara, Lena. you must tell us all about yourself over sandwiches” Lara clapped her hands and grabbed some plates, Kara drifting over to watch her make more for the two of them.

“oh boy, I can eat” Lena smiled, her hand going up to hide it as Kara pouted at her. she couldn’t help but notice the fond look on Jor Els face at their interaction.

When the sandwiches were ready, the two women sat down and recounted everything. Kara’s discovery, their kidnapping and escape, their journey to the camp, and even James’ death and Monel’s betrayal. The whole time, Lara listened with wide eyes and Jor-El with a serious face.

When they were finally finished, Lara’s hand went up to rest against her heart. she grabbed onto Jor ells arm with her free hand and let out a deep breath.

“Rao. You two have been through a lot. I'm so glad Jor-El found you” Jor el nodded deeply, a leg going up to rest atop his knee. Kara agreed, humming as she leaned back in her chair.

“trust me, we are too” Lara smiled and pointed to a set of stairs behind them.

“why don’t you two head up to the guest room? I will bring you some clothes to change into” the woman quickly stood up and made her way to another room, only stopping at the sound of Kara’s voice.

“oh thank you mrs. Jor-el.”

“I can’t let my niece and her mate continue to walk in clothes with so many rips in them” Kara and Lena’s mouth both fell open at the… _title_ Lena had been given. She couldn’t decide which was funnier, being called Kara’s mate or her wife. Kara raised a hand in protest but slowly deflated as Lara scurried off.

“we’re not…okay” Jor-El was chuckling behind his own hand this time, pushing himself up and pointing casually behind his back to the stairs.

“first room on the left!” he told them in muffled words. Kara shook her head but then looked to Lena with a small smile. There was a look in her eyes that she just couldn’t place but before she could do anything about it, Kara cleared her throat. She bowed and gestured grandly to the stairs using a stuffy voice.

“after you my lady” she joked, her eyes glowing with mischievousness. Lena curtsied, bowing her head before taking a step onto the stairs.

“such a gentlewoman” she smiled over her shoulder, a hand on the railing as she went up. Kara mimicked her, a few steps behind as she shrugged.

“I try”

The pair was silent after that, making their way up the staircase. When they finally reached the final landing, the door they were told to use was wide open. inside, they were met with a large window facing towards the city. Past the meadow that was the El’s backyard, the ancient towers and sturdy wall stood in front of them. the walls of the cave seemed far less imposing here with the city to compete with it.

“look at that view” she sighed, going to stand in front of the window. She shook her head as her mind further tried to process where they were. It still felt like a dream.

“I really can’t believe that we’re here. actually here” Lena watched as Kara came to stand beside her, hand going to rest on the wall beside the window. She was shaking her head in disbelief. Lena’s eyes drifted back to the view as she asked the blonde a question she had been thinking since they arrived at the gates.

“is it what you were hoping it would be?” she asked quietly. The archaeologist was silent for a moment before she let out a deep hum and nodded.

“and then some” she said breathlessly. Lena smiled involuntarily, enjoying the blonde’s happiness at finally getting to her goal

“I'm happy for you Kara. I know these aren’t the best circumstances but I'm happy you finally found it” Lena went to grab her hand but stopped just shy. Her fingers just brushed against Kara’s warm palm as they talked. She was going to pull her hand back in her pocket but the hand beside hers stopped her, pulling her hand into hers and locking their fingers together.

“and I'm happy you’re here with me. Even with the circumstances, it still feels good” Kara sounded genuinely happy, and Lena knew she would do anything to hear that tone all the time. The hand in hers pulled, their shoulders coming together softly. Lena looked up at Kara’s face, who was slowly drifting to look at her as well.

“so how are you going to celebrate?” she questioned, biting her lip. Kara turned fully to her, wrapping her arms around her snuggly. A hand came up and brushed a stray hair from her face and Lena’s spine tingled. Kara’s eyes moved form her eyes to her mouth then back up again and Lena braced herself for what would hopefully come next.

“let me show you” Kara whispered, pulling her closer. Lena didn’t pull away, the opposite really as she leaned in close.

“here are some clean clothes ladies! Hopefully they fit” Lara yelled, scaring the both of them as they jumped apart.

“thank you Lara.” Lena blushed as Kara rubbed the back of her head, her eyes down. Lara nodded, holding the new basket of clothes for them. Lena took it happily, hoping to do anything to cover up the sheer embarrassment she was feeling at being caught like that. though part of her was frustrated at being stopped from kissing Kara once again.

“it’s no problem. Hopefully you two will be able to help my husband sleep at night for the first time in weeks”

“we hope so”

Lara patted her shoulder than left without another word, leaving Kara and Lena alone once again. Their intimate moment from the window was now gone, replaced with the need to change into their new clothes.

Lena set the basket down on the bed, finally realizing that they were to sleep together tonight. The thought might have scared her before, but in that moment, after what had just happened, she was actually looking forward to it.

Her and Kara set about looking through the clothes, many options presented to them by the elder El woman. There was a mix of different garments, a few dresses, a few toga-like outfits not unlike what Jor-El and many of the cities resident she had seen wearing. There was also a surprising amount of modern clothing, jeans and t shirts included.

The pair grabbed their outfits, Kara deciding on a simple button up and t shirt under with a pair of deep red pants, but topping it off with a shawl like Jor-Els. Lena thought she would take advantage of their break from fighting and grabbed a flowy blouse and jeans, topping it off with a sash around her waist. It would match some of what she saw in the city, so hopefully they wouldn’t get too many gawking eyes when they went back.

Now it came time to change. Kara blushed and fumbled around as Lena grabbed the hem of her shirt. She dropped her pants on the ground, hitting her face on the bedframe as she rushed to grab it.

“you know Kara, we’ve been over this. You don’t have to be nervous about seeing me without a shirt.”

Kara squeaked and there was shuffling behind her. Lena pulled her shirt off and smirked as the blonde searched for an answer.

“believe me I know. But I don’t want to do this in the wrong order. Running from mercenaries and discovering lost civilizations isn’t really a _date_ ”

Lena smiled as she pulled on her new clothes. The fact Kara wanted to take her on a date first warmed her heart and so she got dressed quickly. She felt a new wave of energy go through at the thought of a date with Kara. A further drop of motivation as they strove for their new goal.

Kara cleared her throat and Lena turned, watching as she tucked her t-shirt into her pants. She left the button up mostly unbuttoned, only a few near the bottom done. Kara hit the side of her thighs lightly and rocked back and forth on her heels.

“ready to go?” the blonde’s eyebrows raised in question and Lena nodded.

“yeah, Jor-El said the meeting isn’t for another few hours so might as well check the city out” Kara beamed, obviously thrilled at getting to see more of the city she spent years looking for. She schooled her face quickly though and Lena was having none of that.

“I know you’re excited, you don’t have to hide it” Kara let out a huge sigh at that, nearly running over to Lena and taking her hands in hers happily. She was practically jumping up and down before her.

“oh, thank god, because Lena I'm dying inside. This is everything I’ve spent years working on and I want to enjoy it” she let her hands go and turned to the door. She stopped just before the exit, looking at Lena and jutting her elbow out. Lena looped her arm through and held on tight, head briefly dropping to her shoulder.

“then let’s go”

_Time to see the great ancient city of Krypton_ Lena thought to herself happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is kinda what im imagining everyone is dressing like in krypton. a little Mediterranean/middle east kinda inspired culture.
> 
> jor el:https://in.pinterest.com/pin/126382333279536340/ 
> 
> kal el:https://www.hellenicarmors.gr/en/armors/ancient-greek/ (mainly the first picture)
> 
> kal el: https://www.pashtush.com/products/pashtush-mens-embroidery-shawl-gents-pashmina-shawls-border-design-kashmiri-embroidery-for-men-medium-size-48x95-inches-multi-coloured-silk-thread-embroidery-daur 
> 
> lara: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/20547742026744380/ 
> 
> next chapter: the meeting and reinforcements


	13. An update on an update!

Sorry I’ve been so inactive guys! This semester has been harder than i thought and it’s been sucking my motivation out! But this week should be more chill so I’m determined to get you all the next chapter and hopefully get the one after started as well! Thank you guys for being such troopers with my inactive self! Even if it takes awhile just know I never abandon a story. So I should be back soon! This chapter will disappear when that does happen. Till next time!

**Author's Note:**

> Hit me up at Geralt-of-fking-Rivia If you wanna shoot me some ideas or just wanna chat. I don’t bite I promise


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